Seat Akal Takht Formation 17th Century | ||
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Inaugural holder Bhai Gurdasas Custodian of Akal Takht | ||
The Jathedar of Akal Takht (Punjabi: ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ), is the appointed head of Akal Takht and the Sikhs of the world. Sikh clergy consists of five Jathedars, one each from five Takhts.
Originally known as Akal Bunga, the building directly opposite the Darbar Sahib was built by Guru Hargobind as a place of justice and consideration of temporal issues; the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa (the collective body of the Sikhs) and the place of the Jathedar, the highest spokesman of the Sikhs.
Selection process
During the 18th and 19th century, Jathedars of Akal Takht were appointed by the Sarbat Khalsa, a biannual deliberative assembly of the entire Khalsa held at Amritsar, Panjab.
Since 1920, Jathedars of Akal Takht are appointed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), an elected body of the Sikhs sometimes called "Parliament of Sikhs".