Jathedar of the Akal Takht

The Jathedar of the Akal Takht (Punjabi: ਜੱਥੇਦਾਰ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is the head of the Akal Takht and head of the Sikhs worldwide. The jathedar has the de facto power as the supreme spokesperson of the Khalsa to summon, trial and sentence any person who identifies as a Sikh from the Akal Takht.

The current jathedar, Jagtar Singh Hawara is a convicted assassin, who was declared by the Sarbat Khalsa on 10 November 2015 and Raghbir Singh was appointed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on 16 June 2023. Due to the imprisonment of Hawara, Dhian Singh Mand appointed by the Sarbat Khalsa has been serving as the acting jathedar. The jathedars of the five takhts generally make important decisions in consultation within the framework of the Sikh Rehat Maryada while considering the collective will of the Sikhs.

The position of jathedar is not established by any constitutional document, but exists only by long-established convention, whereby a Sarbat Khalsa or an institution authorised by it appoints a person most likely to command the confidence of the Sikhs. The jathedar is supported by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and heads the other four jathedars of the takhts. The jathedar also commands the Akali Nihangs, an armed Sikh warrior order started from the Akal Takht by the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind.

The Akal Takht is the building directly opposite the Darbar Sahib founded by Guru Hargobind, as a symbol of political sovereignty and where spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh people can be addressed. Along with Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas, the sixth Guru built a concrete slab. When Guru Hargobind revealed the platform on 15 June 1606, he put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority (piri) and the other, his temporal authority (miri).