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| The historic place
Goindwal is situated about 30 kilometers to the
east south of Amritsar City on the shores of river
Beas. Here Guru Amar Das ji, the 3rd Guru, had established
a holy shrine only for the prayers of the Almighty.
The Guru also built a very large baoli (a very large
well with steps leading down to it), which is in
Goindwal. It is said that whosoever sits on every
one of its eighty-four steps and bathes aat them
and shall, at each step, repeat in full the Japji
Sahib, will be freed from passing through the births
and deaths of the eighty-four lakhs of living things
and will go to heaven.
At this baoli, every year, a large
fair takes place, and many people recite the Jhapji
Sahib in full in that very way at each of the
eighty-four steps. Adjoining the sacred baoli
is an impressive building of Gurdwara Baoli Sahib
where guru ka langar is served regularly. It is
said that Empror Akbar too sat in the queue and
ate langar before meeting the Guru.
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| AKAL TAKHT |
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| Akal Takht is the highest seat of
religious authority for the Sikhs. It is situated
opposite the Darshani Diorhi of Harimandir Sahib.
There are four other Takhts situated respectively
at Anandpur Sahib, Sabo ki Talwandi, Patna Sahib
and Hazur Sahib Abchalnagar, Nanded. Conventionally
only the Akal Takht has the authority to try and
excommunicate a Sikh for religious offence.
The Akal Takht was founded and constructed by
Guru Hargobind ji. It is believed that the Guru
ji laid the foundation and Bhai Buddha and Bhai
Gurdas completed the construction. Initially it
was only a platform and the Guru ji named this
place Akal Takht—the throne of the Timeless
or the Timeless throne. This is also known as
Akal Bunga—the home of the Eternal. With
the passage of time a superb and splendid building
was raised during the time of Guru Hargobind ji
himself. Whenever there was any crisis over the
Sikh nation, they looked towards Akal Takht for
guidance and inspiration to rejuvenate and revitalize
their energies. The armory and arsenals of the
holy gurus have been preserved here. At this very
place Guru Hargobine ji was appointed after the
great martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev ji. The supremacy
of the Akal Takht as the final arbiter in matters
of religious and moral discipline is undisputed.
The fanatic and frenzied Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded
the Akal Takht in 1764. A small soldiery of brave
and gallant Nihangs courageously fought but could
not save the destruction of the Akal Bunga, the
building of the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht was
an institution and it survived the onslaught of
the time. Even on the ruins of the Akal Bunga,
the Sikhs continued to meet and in 1774, the ground
floor of the Akal Takht was reconstructed. During
the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh another four
storeys were raised. During the Operation Bluestar,
the building was severely damaged and in sheer
panic the government hastily reconstructed it.
The government also committed another blunder
by holding a fake Sarbat Khalsa. This was something
inglorious. The Sikhs through gurmata resolved
to pull down the building raised by the government
and reconstructed the Akal Bunga through kar-seva.
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| GURDWARA RAMSAR |
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| Gurdwara Ramsar is a holy place
and a radiant reminder of the history and
growth of Sikh religion. The Gurdwara is situated
in Amritsar on the shores of the Ramsar Sarovar.
At this very place in the placid and serene
atmosphere of quiet and silence, the most
treasured feat of Guru Arjun Dev ji the compilation
of Guru Granth Sahib by collecting the writings
of the preceding Gurus and those of Hindu
and Muslim Saints, adding to them his own—was
accomplished through Bhai Gurdas as the Guru’s
scribe. This holy task was achieved in the
year 1604 and the Guru Granth Sahib was installed
with full reverence and veneration. Guru Arjun
Dev had laid down the exact hymns to be sung
and the correct rituals to be performed. Since
Guru Gobind Singh had closed the institution
of personal guruship and the Sikhs were to
look upon the holy Guru Granth Sahib as their
guide and the authentic representative of
the Gurus, the importance of Gurdwara Ramsar
augments all the more.
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| GURDWARA MANJI SAHIB |
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| The spot where Gurdwara
Manji Sahib is now existing was a place earlier
known as Guru ka Bagh, or Guru’s Garden. Prior
to and during the construction of Harimandir Sahib,
Guru Arjun Dev ji practiced to hold daily assembly
at this place. The current building of the Gurdwara
was constructed not very long ago. The expansive
hall of the Gurdwara is now used for special or
large congregations. |
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| NANKANA SAHIB |
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| Nankana Sahib is the
sacred place where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of
Sikh religion was born on 14th April 1469. Before
the birth of the Guru, Nankana Sahib was known as
Raipur and later on as Rai-Bhoi-di-Talwandi. Nankana
Sahib is situated at a distance of about 75 kilometers
on the west of Lahore. The emergence of Guru Nanak
Dev at a time of utter chaos and confusion in Punjab
was like an amazing and wondrous beam of light that
pierced the darkness and removed the scales from
the peoples’ eyes. The Guru spent the first
35 years of his life in Nankana Sahib and hereafter
went to Sultanpur.
For a pretty long time this holy place remained
in the routine and normal form. In the year 1613,
Shri Guru Hargobind ji, the sixth Guru in succession,
visited the Janam Asthan—Nankana Sahib and
entrusted the responsibility of looking after
the holy place to Almast, an ardent Udasi—the
follower of Guru Nanak’s son Baba Sri Chand.
Since then the Udasis looked after the Janam Asthan
for a long time.
At the behest of Baba Sahib Singh, Maharaja Ranjit
Singh gave 700 acres as religious endowment to
this holy shrine. The Maharaja also got a majestic
and magnificent building constructed. But the
holy shrine continued to be maintained by the
Udasis. Across the years the Udasi Mahants began
treating the holy place as their personal property
and indulged in lavish, luscious and luxurious
life. To get this holiest of the holy places freed
from the hands of these renegade apostates, the
Gurdwara Prabandh Sudhar Movement was launched.
The very first peaceful Jatha that entered the
Gurdwara Janam Asthan was ruthlessly hacked by
the avaricious mercenaries of Mahant Narain Dass.
Several members of this great jatha were tied
and burnt alive.
This ghastly and gruesome incident ablazed the
Gurdwara Reform Movement and the Mahants had to
hand over the holy shrines to the Sikh Sangats.
But unfortunately because of partition, the Sikhs
not only lost many lives but their most loved
and revered shrine, Nankana Sahib, and many other
blessed shrines went to Pakistan. Now the mention
of Nankana Sahib Gurdwara is a regular feature
of the daily prayer of the Sikhs. At present about
30 Sikh families are residing in Nankana Sahib
and daily service is regularly performed and bani
is recited. On Guru Nanak’s anniversary about
three thousands Sikh devotees from India and a
large number from all over the world visit Nankana
Sahib every year.
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| GURDWARA LOH GARH |
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| Gurdwara Lohgarh is situated
within the Lohgarh Darwaza, which is on the northwest
of Amritsar. The Gurdwara marks the site of the
fort constructed by Guru Hargobind to secure the
western approach to the town. Ahmad Shah Abdali
destroyed the fort. Gurdwara Lohgarh was constructed
on the ruins of the fort. Now the gurdwara is in
the Lohgarh Gate of the walled city. |
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| GURDWARA PIPLI SAHIB |
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| Gurdwara Pipli Sahib
is situated in the Putlighar area outside the walled
city of Amritsar. It marks the location where Guru
Arjun Dev ji received massive sangat that came from
Kabul and the northwest Punjab to take part in the
digging of the Harimandir Sarovar, Amritsar—pool
of immortality. The beautiful building of this Gurdwara
was constructed in the early part of 20th century. |
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| GURDWARA KHADUR SAHIB |
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| Khadur is a sacred place
about 20 kilometers east of Tarn Taran. It was at
this place that the 2nd Guru, Guru Angad Dev ji
unceasingly spread the holy message of the Almighty
for a number of years. It was at this place that
Guru Angad Dev ji used to lead a pious and austere
life. And at this very spot, Gurdwara Khadur Sahib
is situated. It is believed that Guru Amar Das ji
and Guru Nanak Dev ji had also blessed this place
by their godly visit. Baba Pheru, the revered father
of Bhai Lehna (later Guru Angad ji) shifted to this
place after the Mughal invaders destroyed their
native village. Bhai Lehna who fondly and devotedly
served Guru Nanak Dev ji at Kartarpur for 12 long
years visited Khadur very infrequently. When Bhai
Lehna ordained Guruship, he shifted to Khadur and
settled here permanently. Gurdwara Khadur Sahib
commemorates the 2nd Guru Angad Dev ji. |
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| GURDWARA SRI CHAMKAUR
SAHIB |
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| Gurdwara Sri Chamkaur
Sahib was built to commemorate the brave, bloody
and relentless battle the Guru had to fight along
with just 40 valiant soldiers. The treacherous and
traitorous Mughal forces were stubborn in their
dogged pursuits to exterminate and eliminate Guru
Gobind Singh ji. Through crafty design and deceit
of the Mughals, the Guru did leave Anandpur but
only to be engaged by the foxy enemy. The Guru somehow
did cross the river Sarsa and with just forty soldiers
and to of his elder sons, he fought defiantly and
with a rare valiancy. As many as thirty-seven of
his brave soldiers lost their lives in the battle.
Both his elder sons Prince Ajit Singh and Prince
Jujhar Singh fought dauntlessly but were eventually
overpowered by the crooked enemy and torn to pieces
before the very eyes of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Gurdwara
Chamkaur Sahib is a reminiscence of this sad and
gloomy event and yet one of the splendid and glorious
moments of Sikh history.
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| GURDWARA
HARGOBIND SAHIB NANKANA SAHIB |
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| After returning from
Kashmir, Guru Har Gobind ji, the sixth Guru ji,
visited Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in the year 1613.
The Guru ji was accompanied by one Almast, an ardent
Udasi (follower of Guru Nanak dev ji’s son
Baba Sri Chand ji) to look after the Janam Asthan.
Gurdwara Guru Hargobind Sahib Nankana Sahib stands
erected at the place where Guru Hargobind ji rested
for three days. Guru ji had visited this place in
June and a festival was held on that day every year.
But afterwards this festival was held simultaneously
on Guru Nanak Dev ji’s birthday. |
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| GURDWARA BABA DEEP
SINGH |
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| Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh
is located outside Chatiwind Gate in Amritsar. It
commemorates the unrivaled martyrdom of Baba Deep
Singh ji who fought valiantly and dauntlessly alongwith
hundreds of soldiers in 1757 to liberate Harimandir
Sahib from the defiled clutches of Mughal invaders.
Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia constructed a memorial
to the famed martyr. In the 19th century Akali Phula
Singh replaced the memorial platform into a magnificent
gurdwara. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
enlarged and developed this important gurdwara into
the present complex in the early 20s of this century.
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| GURDWARA LACHI BER |
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| Gurdwara Lachi Ber is
small domed shrine near Darshni Deorhi in Amritsar.
The Gurdwara marks the site where Guru Arjun Dev
ji used to sit under a ber tree that bore fruit
of the size of lachi (cardamom). It is because of
the unique quality of the tree and the association
of the great Guru with the tree that the Gurdwara
is known as Gurdwara Lachi Ber. |
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| GURDWARA DUKH NIVARAN
SAHIB |
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| Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran
Sahib is located in Patiala City, less than a kilometer
from the Patiala railway station. The Gurdwara’s
construction was started in the year 1930 and was
completed twelve years later in the year 1942. It
is said that Guru Teg Bahadur ji, the ninth Guru
visited this place at the request of the villagers
of Lehal—now a part of the Patiala city—during
his stay at Saifabad, now Bahadurgarh. A small shrine
commemorating the Guru’s visit existed here
but when the proposal to construct the present Gurdwara
was mooted in the year 1930, what remained at the
spot was an old banyan tree and a well. A large
sarovar also forms a part of the Gurdwara complex
where the devotees invariably bathe whenever they
visit the Gurdwara. |
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| GURDWARA BABA ATAL |
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| Gurdwara Baba Atal has
been raised in the revered memory of Guru Hargobind’s
9 year old Sahibzada Baba Atal Rai. It is situated
in Amritsar. The child was the personification of
something wondrous. Through a miracle Baba Atal
Rai once revived a dead child. Guru Hargobind was
convinced that Sikh religion did not believe in
any kind of miracle and that it was an uncalled
for interference in the ways of god and the cosmic
system. The Guru, therefore, felt annoyed with his
son. To atone for the intervention in the divine
ways, the child left for his heavenly abode. It
is at the point of the terrestrial exist of Baba
Atal Rai that a nine storeys Gurdwara—symbolic
of his 9 years of exisatence—was constructed.
It is known as Baba Atal. |
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| GURDWARA THARA SAHIB |
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| The site of Gurdwara
Thara Sahib is north of Akal Takht. Thara means
a raised platform of masonry. It was at this very
place where Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, the 9th Guru,
sat and prayed during the period when the priests
had barred his entry into the Harmandir Sahib. |
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| GURDWARA GURU KE
MAHAL |
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| Situated across
the main street known as Guru Bazar, Gurdwara Guru
Ke Mahal is on the site of the residential house
of the Guru. It is west of the highest religious
authority of the Sikhs, Akal Takht. The architecture
of the Gurdwara and the very complex is extremely
beautiful. The devotees who visit Harimandir Sahib
often visit Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal also. |
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