Gurdwara Mehdiana Sahib, also called the 'School of Sikh History' [1] is a Sikh gurdwara located in the village of Mehdiana, just outside Mallha, near Jagraon in Ludhiana district, India. [2]
Sikhs believe the site of the gurdwara to be where Guru Gobind Singh and his followers rested after the Battle of Chamkaur against the Imperial Mughal armies of Aurangzeb and where he was requested by his followers or the Sangat to write the Zafarnamah. [3]
The gurdwara is known for its uniquely coloured architecture and monuments depicting important events in Sikh history. [1] Additionally, the Dhaab (natural water reservoir), greenery, birds and trees made Mehdiana Sahib popular with pilgrims. [2] Today parts of the Gurdwara have become dilapidated due to a lack of funds resulting from its isolated location and private ownership status. [1]
In 1705 Mughal armies under Aurangzeb laid siege to Anandpur Sahib intent on reducing the influence of Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa. During the siege Aurangzeb sent a signed letter to Guru Gobind Singh offering safe passage out of Anandpur. Pressed by his followers and family he accepted and evacuated Anandpur on 20–21 December 1705.
Guru Gobind Singh, his two eldest sons (Sahibzada Jujhar Singh and Sahibzada Ajit Singh) and thirty-eight followers arrived at Chamkaur, where they were granted shelter. Despite assurance from Aurangzeb of safe passage a contingent of the imperial army was sent to lay siege to the haveli. Vastly outnumbered Guru Gobind Singh was disguised as another Sikh and escaped with only three others including Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh.
Guru Gobind Singh reached Mehdiana after gathering support from across the Malwa region passing through the villages of Raikot, Lamme Jattpure & Manuke before finally reaching Mehdiana. [3] The nearest habitation at the time was almost 3 miles (4.8 km) away so Guru Gobind Singh and his followers rested by cleaned their teeth using tree twigs (Daatan) and bathed in the water (Daab). [3] While Guru Gobind Singh was meditating Bhai Daya Singh asked what they should do next. Guru Gobind Singh's reply encouraged his followers to have faith in God's will as they had done no wrong.
"Bhai Daya Singh I have returned the Debt and have become victorious. Singh and Tiger are kings of the same jungle. Singhs should keep faith in the Almighty."
Still distressed Bhai Daya Singh again repeated his requested, on behalf of all Sikhs (Sangat). Guru Gobind Singh's reply showed that despite being Guru to the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh was only a mortal man and that in reality he was a servant to God and the Sangat. [4] The quote refers to the execution Guru Gobind Singh's father and proceeding Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur for opposing forced conversion to Islam of Kashmiris by Aurangzeb [5]
"Sangat is bigger than Guru. [Sangat] Sent father to Delhi on Kashmiri Pandits plea. [Then] On Sangat's request [I] left Anandpur Sahib, [I] left Chamkaur Garhi on Sangat's request, [And] now you are asking me on Sangat's behalf." [4]
Discussions about the future of the Sikhs continued until on Sangat's request Guru Gobind Singh began to prepare his mind to begin writing the Zafarnamah. [4] Guru Gobind Singh went to the village Chakkar that night and the next day travelled to Deena Sahib to stay with Lakhmir and Shamir; after gathering support at the villages Takhtupura and Madhe. In Chakkar he wrote the Zafarnamah and sent it to Aurangzeb in Aurangabad with Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Das. [3]
For this reason pilgrims claim that Mehdiana Sahib has Guru Gobind Singh's blessing and that visiting will mean their prayers will not go unanswered. [3]
Before the late 1960s the Mehdiana complex looked like a forest with dense trees and bushes growing all around the place of worship. The gurdwara was not developed and maintained properly and there was no habitation within a distance of two to three miles (5 km). Later Jathedar Jora Singh Lakha took the responsibility for its development and made Mehdiana Sahib a popular destination for pilgrims. In 1972, when Lakha started the work, only a few acres were attached to the gurdwara but slowly the gurdwara complex covered 25 acres (100,000 m2). The art pieces statue constructed in the Gurudwara was made by the Great sculpture artist " Tara Singh Ji " Which are the center of attraction of the Gurudwara Sahib ji
In the vicinity of this gurdwara are the sculptures and statues of Sikh warriors who not only laid their lives for the sake of the religion but also endured torture at the hands of the Mughals. These statues depict soldiers, women and children being cut to pieces. Some sculptures show Bhai Kanhaiya, one of the soldiers of Guru Gobind Singh, serving water not only to the wounded soldiers in their own army but also to wounded enemy soldiers. Through these sculptures Lakha not only aimed to depict history but also to educate people that religion was more important than their lives. He felt it was better to sacrifice one's life than to accept injustice and cruelty and lose one's self-respect.
He has tried to show that the Sikh religion was born from the sacrifices of our ancestors and that religion should not be taken for granted. The importance of preserving one's self-respect and the triumph of good over evil have been beautifully depicted in the sculptures and paintings.
The gurdwara is a fine specimen of Sikh architecture. Crores of rupees have been spent on its construction. Exquisite meenakari work can be seen here. On the door of the eighth floor of the building is engraved a picture of Bhai Gurdas who is dictating the bagtan di bani to the fifth guru. On the walls of the gurdwara are engraved images of Guru Gobind Singh's deeds along with his hymns and on the main door is shown Bhai Daya Singh Hura holding the horse of the Guru. Inside the main building of gurdwara a beautifully decorated Guru Granth Sahib is kept.
The gurdwara complex has its own Dasmesh Public School. [6] Around 500 children from surrounding villages come in this school. To the right of the gurdwara building is a museum which houses beautiful paintings depicting the journey of Guru Gobind Singh from Patna to Anandpur Sahib. Near the main building of the gurdwara, is Baba Farid's asthan. This asthan looks like a small fort with a beautiful and realistic sculpture of Baba Farid and the pictures of different birds like crows, eagle etc. surrounding him. For the entertainment of children there is a mini zoo which houses rare animals. This zoo is in the form of a fort. There is also a modern sarovar and Langar is served 24 hours a day.
Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last human Sikh Guru. He was also a warrior, poet, and philosopher. At the age of nine—after his father was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb—he was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs. His four biological sons died during his lifetime – two in battle and two executed by the Mughal governor Wazir Khan.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus who founded the Sikh religion and the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in 1675. He was born in Amritsar, Punjab, India in 1621 and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru. Considered a principled and fearless warrior, he was a learned spiritual scholar and a poet whose 115 hymns are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the main text of Sikhism.
The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.
The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo in Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the full version of the Sikh scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. The other four Takhts are the Akal Takht, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.
Chamkaur Sahib is a Sub Divisional town in the district of Rupnagar in the Indian State of Punjab. It is famous for the First Battle of Chamkaur (1702) and the Second Battle of Chamkaur (1704) fought between the Mughals and Guru Gobind Singh.
Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of Harmandir Sahib, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history.
The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh (1730–1802) captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, led to the construction of several Sikh religious shrines within the city. This one marks the site of cremation of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, after his martyrdom in November 1675 for saving Hindu Kashmiri Pandits, under orders of Aurangzeb. The Gurudwara Sahib is built near old Raisina village near Raisina Hill, at present Pandit Pant Marg, took 12 years to build. Prior to that, a mosque had been built near the spot.
Baba Fateh Singh Ji (Youngest Martyr In the World) (Punjabi: ਬਾਬਾ ਫਤਿਹ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ, pronunciation: [pʰat̪ɪɦ sɪ́ŋgᵊ] ; 25 February 1699 – 28 December 1704 or 12 December 1705) (5 or 6 Years Old), commonly referred to with honorifics as Baba Fateh Singh or Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh, was the fourth and youngest son of Guru Gobind Singh. He was born at the spot marked by the modern-day Gurdwara Bhora Sahib, Anandpur and was reared in the same locality. He was raised by his paternal grandmother, Mata Gujri, after the passing of his mother in December 1700. He was executed in Sirhind at the age of 6, alongside his elder brother Zorawar Singh, by being entombed alive in a brick wall and after they fell unconscious, they were taken out of the wall and killed. Guru Gobind Singh learnt of the deaths of his sons, Fateh Singh and Zorowar Singh, while he was staying at the village of Jatpura. Mata Gujri is claimed to have died of shock on hearing of the deaths of her two youngest grandsons. Fateh Singh is among the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism.
Ajit Singh (Punjabi: ਅਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, pronunciation: [äːd͡ʒiːt sɪ́ŋgᵊ]; 11 February 1687 –23 December 1704), also referred to with honorifics as Sahibzada Ajit Singh or Baba Ajit Singh, was the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh and the son of Mata Sundari. His younger brothers were Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, but they had been born to Mata Jito. He was killed in the Second Battle of Chamkaur along with his brother Jujhar Singh. His other two brothers, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, nine and seven years old, respectively, were bricked alive at Fatehgarh Sahib on order of Wazir Khan, governor of Sirhind-Fategarh.
Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur, was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She was an exceptionally skilled warrior on the battlefield and is revered as a warrior saint in Sikhism. She was known for rallying the 40 Sikhs who abandoned Guru Gobind Singh at the siege of Anandpur Sahib and bringing them back to fight.
Parivar Vichora is a Gurdwara situated on the bank of the river Sirsa in India. This is where the 10th Guru of Sikh, Guru Gobind SIngh Ji's, family got separated.
The Battle of Chamkaur, also known as Battle of Chamkaur Sahib, was a battle fought between the Khalsa, led by Guru Gobind Singh, and the coalition forces of the Mughals led by Wazir Khan and of Hindu hill chief. Guru Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in his letter Zafarnama.
Gurdwara Mata Sundri is considered to be one of the major historical Gurudwara of the Sikh; it is a landmark on the Mata Sundri road in the heart of Delhi. It is situated behind JP Nayak Hospital, the Gurudwara is a tribute to Mata Sundri, the wife of the 10th Guru – Guru Gobind Singh [4].
Chhotte Sahibzade attained martyrdom on 26 December 1704 at a very young age of 9 & 5(or 6) only. This is known as Saka Sirhind or the Chhotte Sahibzada Saka. Every year on 24 to 26 December, Shaheedi Jor Mela also known as Shaheedi Jor Mel/Sabha is organised at Fatehgarh Sahib Punjab, India, to commemorate the supreme sacrifice at the place of their martyrdom.
Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Gurudwara Gurusar Sahib' - a shrine which commemorates visit of Guru Hargobind Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh. Gurudwara Gurusar Sahib is located in village Lal Kalan (Ldh), Lal Kalan is a village near Neelon Bridge, Sirhind Canal; on Chandigarh-Ludhiana Road. Gurudwara Sahib, inside a walled compound has an octagonal shaped room, with the sanctum in the middle. Over the sanctum on the first floor there is a low domed room built in the same style. At Gurudwara Gurusar Sahib there is Sarovar, Beri Sahib and Barota Sahib with their own importance.
Sangat Singh was a Sikh warrior and martyr of Battle of Chamkaur.
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