Historical Gurdwaras of India and Pakistan Yatra Part 5: Pakistan

This is a summary of the first couple of days we spent in Pakistan. 

Day 9

While we were still in India, we went to Harmandir sahib at 3 am in the morning, which was really nice because we got to sit and listen to Asa Di Waar and see the Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. After a quick nap, we headed to the Wagah Border (Bagha Border) to meet the jatha we were travelling with. We travelled with Sardar Mohanjeet Singh Ji and his wife Maninder Kaur who graciously do the sewa of organizing a yatra to see Gurdwaras in Pakistan a few times a year. We got our passports checked thirteen times while crossing and it took a couple of hours, but it went very smoothly. There are some important points to know such as you can’t bring Indian money to Pakistan (vice versa), you can't bring gutkas to Pakistan, etc. We were assigned into buses and met the families that we would be travelling with, the majority of whom were Canadians. 

As we were travelling to our first destination, a wheelchair fell off the bus in front of us, and flew through the air! It could have gone through the windshield to hit our driver but he was excellent at his job and swerved over just in time! Our bus driver was a really humble and kind-spirited man that we got to know well over the week we spent with him. He answered our questions and treated us like his own family. The government wanted us to feel safe since we were Canadians travelling in a foreign country and there was a lot going on in the news, so we had a police escort wherever we went. They travelled with us by road and in person, as well as in the form of snipers (who had t-shirts that said “Sniper- out of sight, out of mind” and “No fear” on the back). We were so appreciative of their efforts to keep us safe. The amount of security depended on the areas we travelled to, but overall it was obvious to us that the government had spent massive amounts of money just for our security. It showed us how much respect they have for travellers and minorities like the Sikhs. 

Here's a picture of the inside of our bus:

SIAN MIAN MIR’S DURGAH

Sikhs have had longstanding close relationships to Muslims such as Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s own companion Bhai Mardana. Sian Mian Mir was a Sufi saint who was a close friend of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, and laid the first foundation stone of Harmandir Sahib in 1647. Chandu Shah was against Guru Ji and sent an individual named Ahmad Das to discourage Mian Mir from doing this. When Mian Mir didn’t agree, they tried to kill him on his way to Harmandir Sahib. He went on to lay that foundation stone.

When Guru Arjan Dev Ji was charged by Jahangir and held captive, Mian Mir came to see Guru Ji and asked to go to Jahangir on his behalf, but Guru Ji said that this is God’s will and must be accepted. After Guru Ji’s shaheedi, Mian Mir brought Chandhu Shah to justice by telling Jahangir how he had set up Guru Ji falsely. Guru Arjan Dev Ji had asked Mian Mir to bless his son, (Guru) Hargobind. This was fulfilled when Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji met Mian Mir at the age of thirteen. Mian Mir played an important role in advocating for the release of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji when he was arrested at Gwalior fort (and released on Diwali). Guru Ji then lived with Mian Mir at his residence for 22 days. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji also went on to meet Mian Mir. One of Mian Mir’s disciples was Dara Shikoh, son of Shah Jahan (who was brother of Aurganzeb). Dara had built a tomb over Mian Mir’s grave, but when Aurganzeb took the throne he took the stones from the tomb and used them for a mosque. It was later repaired by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 

The locals welcomed us with flower garlands. Women are not allowed inside the Durgah as it is Muslim custom so they offer prayers outside. 

GURDWARA SHAHEED GANJ SINGH SINGNIYAN

There is a section in our Ardas dedicated to the sacrifices of the Singhs and Singhniyan. This Gurdwara Sahib is where 250, 000 Sikh men, women and children were martyred during the rule of Mir Mannu. In 1752, Ahmad Shah Durrani led an invasion into India. Durrani was defeated by the Mughals and Mir Mannu took over as Governor of Lahore until 1753. Under Mir Mannu's command, hundreds of Sikhs (women and children included) were publicly executed daily. He put 10 rupees as the price for the head of a Sikh, and there was a price for a Sikh’s whereabouts. Many Sikhs were hiding in Jungles as each house was searched. Women who were in jail were given 40 pounds of grain to grind daily with an extremely heavy chakki. These women were offered freedom if they converted to Islam. A heavy stone was placed on the chest of women unable to grind. Their food for the day was a bowl of water and a quarter of a piece of bread. Their children were speared, cut into pieces and the pieces were put as a garland around the mother’s necks. 300 children were killed in this way and not one Kaur give up her Sikhi. One woman was tortured severely, and she continued to jap Waheguru until she was finally killed. Seeing the fact that her faith was not broken after days of torture, many guards left their jobs. These women were strong and resilient! It is said that people used to sing “We are the plants and Mannu a sickle, but by now, everyone knows, the more he cuts us, the more we grow.” Diwan Kaura Mal’s men took over this place. Then a Gurdwara was constructed, and the gurdwara was managed by Mahants. In 1910 some muslims took over possession and later filed a lawsuit but the higher court dismissed the case and maintained that it should remain a Gurdwara. In 1934 the Shiromani Gurdwara Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee took over management until the Gurdwara was abandoned in 1947. It was later restored.

This is a well outside the Gurdwara.

This is where the bibiyan stayed and is outside the Gurdwara. 

A lot of us were crying seeing the dark and horrible conditions in which these Bibiyan survived. 

This is the outside of that building: 

We then went to our hotel and got welcomed. 

Day 10 

SACHA SOUDHA GURDWARA 

At this Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Dev Ji performed the saucha soudha (true bargain). When Guru Ji was 18, he was sent by his father to the city to make a profit with 20 rupees (a lot of money back then!). Mehta Kalu thought that maybe his son would be a successful businessman since cattle grazing hadn't worked out. Guru Ji left with Bhai Mardana (some sources say this was Bhai Bala but those who have done research say that no such person existed), to Chooharkhaana, which has a large marketplace. As they were walking on the way, there was a village full of diseased and starving individuals. Guru Ji told Bhai Mardana that nothing would be more profitable than feeding and clothing them, and thus this is the true beginnings of langar. (The accounts from story books from when I was little said that it was a group of sadhus that was fed, but rather this version is actually is more consistent with Gurbani and is described by discover sikhism. It is also orally passed down from local Muslims). Bhai Mardana then went to the village and told Mehta Kalu, who was angry and went and found Guru Ji at the site of present day Gurdwara Tambu Sahib (below). Mehta Kalu slapped Guru Ji but Bebe Nananki intervened. The Gurdwara was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was first in the hands of Udasis, then under Panthic administration, then after partition the Gurdwara was closed. The Sangat then was allowed to enter once in 1993 on Vaisakhi (and renovated by Sangat of England in 1993-1994) but the Gurdwara still wasn’t opened until 2000. 

We ate langar, did Ardas and took a Hukamnama. The Hukamnama was “Aukhi ghari na dekhan dayee.” We spent time doing Simran as well. Then we did a short TV segment for Lahore Lahore Aay. Our entire trip in Pakistan was filmed for this TV show. There is a 550 year old Beri tree at the Gurdwara Sahib. 

There's a big gate outside the Gurdwara, then the outer building which is the large white one you see, which goes upstairs to a smaller area where there's a Beri tree and langar, and the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It was so peaceful it felt like we should never leave. 

GURDWARA KYARA (KIARA) SAHIB 

in 1482, Mehta Kalu sent Guru Ji to graze cattle. One day while Guru Ji was meditating under a tree, the buffalo and cattle started grazing wherever and fed on the neighbour’s fields. The neighbour was angry and woke up Guru Ji. Guru Ji stated that God would bless the fields. The farmer went to get Rai Bular to show him, who sent his men to investigate but when they arrived the fields were all green again! A Kiara is a field hence the name of the Gurdwara Sahib. The Mahants managed the Gurdwara until 1921. After 1947, the Pakistan Waqf board took over. This Gurdwara was reconstructed by Sant Gurmukh Singh Sevawale. 

GURDWARA MALL JI SAHIB 

One day while grazing the cattle and buffalo, Guru Ji again rested under a shady Mall tree (hence the name) and meditated. As the sun moved, it came over Guru Jis face. A cobra arrived and spread its hood over Guru Jis face, shading it from the son. Rai Bular saw this event and came over, then the snake disappeared to its pit. The Gurdwara was built by Diwan Kaura Mall then renovated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Gurdwara was being repaired due to damage from 1947, so we didn’t get to go inside. All renovations are being done consistently to preserve original architecture. We got to see that tree and the location where Guru Ji slept. 

GURDWARA PANJVIN ATE CHHEVIN (SHEH-VEEN) PATSHAHI

This Gurdwara commemorates the 5^thand 6^thGurus, hence the Name. The Gurdwara for Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji has a dome. Both Guru Jis travelled and stayed here. The tree where Guru Hargobind Ji stayed has withered away but a piece of it is kept inside the Gurdwara Sahib. There is no parkash of Guru Granth Sahib Ji there. The Gurdwara remembering Guru Arjan Dev Ji has no dome at the top. 

GURDWARA TAMBU SAHIB

This Gurdwara Sahib was also damaged in 1947 so to commemorate Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550^thbirth, the Gurdwara Sahibs are being repaired including this one. As mentioned above, this is where Guru Ji rested after the sacha soudha. Guru Ji rested near a large tree whose branches touched the ground making it look like a tent (hence the name Tambu Sahib). This tree is still alive. 

GURDWARA PATTI SAHIB 

A patti is a wooden tablet used for writing. This is where Guru Nanak Dev Ji was supposed to learn from Pandit Gopal Das. One day thePandit asked Guru Ji why he wasn’t learning the way he wanted, Guru Ji said:  “O respected Senior! (Let me) Learn to write the account in such a fashion, that when your life’s account is reviewed, it will bring Full Marks (of Truth – being debt free). Pause.” The Pandit told Mehta Kalu he could no longer teach Guru Ji, as Guru Ji would teach all of humankind. Guru Ji taught the pandit the spiritual meaning of each letter. This Patti bani can be found on Ang 432 of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The Bani is written just like we would normally memorize the alphabet (Eedeee Itt = edee stands for brick) except with spiritual meanings. 

GURDWARA BAL LEELA

This Gurdwara was originally built by Rai Bular and is where Guru Nanak Dev Ji played with friends, and led them in meditation. Guru Ji spent the first 13 years of life here. Guru Hargobind Sahib enlarged the site, then Diwan Kaura Mal enlarged the Gurdwara as well. Maharaja Ranjit Singh renovated and donated 3000 acres to the Gurdwara Sahib. After the massacre in 1921 at Nankana Sahib, the mahants handed this Gurdwara to the Shirmonani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee. The building was reconstructed in the 30s and 40s supervised by Sant Gurmukh Singh Seva Wale. In 1947 the Pakistan Waqf board started serving the Gurdwara. This Gurdwara Sahib was recently renovated. It was closed and was opened up so we could go inside. The sarovar is still dried up and is the only part of the renovations left. 

Having read all these sakhis as a child, it was amazing to get to see these locations in real life. There was something special about driving by the lush scenery in Pakistan, knowing that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had lived there. The Gyani Jis explain the history with a lot of love and passion, slowly whereas I found that some places in India it was explained quickly via rote memorization to the point I couldn’t understand what was even being said! It was nice to get to understand the history of each place as we were actually there. 

Life in Pakistan

References for history

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Saint_Hazrat_Mian_Mir

https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/tomb_mian_mir.html

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurdwaras/gurdwara_sri_bal_lila_sahib.html

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Bal_Lila

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwaras_of_Pakistan

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Patti_Sahib

https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/index.php/historical-gurudwaras/historical-gurudwaras-in-pakistan/punjab/nankana-sahib/gurudwara-tambu-sahib

https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras-in-pakistan/gurudwara-patti-sahib

https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/historical-gurudwaras/historical-gurudwaras-in-pakistan/punjab/lahore/gurudwara-patshahi-chhevin--lahore

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Kiara_Sahib

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/quest-khuley-darshan-series-part-3

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Kiara_Sahib

http://www.sikhnet.com/news/quest-khuley-darshan-series-part-4

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Sacha_Sauda

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurdwaras/gurdwara_sri_shaheed_ganj_singh_singhnian.html

http://gurdwaar.com/Gurdwara+Shaheed+Ganj+Singh+Singhania/32283812

https://barusahib.org/general/history-behind-gurdwara-sacha-sauda-sahib-farooqabad-pakistan/

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Mal_ji_sahib

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurudwara_Tambu_Sahib

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurudwara_Panjvin_and_Chhevin_Patshahi

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurdwaras/gurdwara_sri_sacha_sauda_sahib.html