Gurdwara Budha Johad

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Gurdwara Shaheed Nagar Budha Johad is a wonderful shrine located about 50 KM from Ganganagar. This is where Bhai Sukha and Mehtab Singh brought Massa Rangarh's head and hung it on a jandd da darakhat (translation needed). The Jandd where Massa rangar's head was hanging is now enclosed in a glass case. That Jandd stood for few hundred years and fell around 2000. They had stopped here where they saw the water body (Johad).

Bhai Sukha and Mehtab Singh were part of the Sikhs who during the days of Islamic invasions of Punjab, had established a Sikh Community in Rajasthan, seeking to escape the repression and forced conversions. One day a Sikh who had recently been in Amritsar happened to mention that a muslim invader named Massa Rangar had taken up residence in the Harmandir Sahib. Not only was he living in the temple, but he had expelled the mahants (the caretakers of the temple) and had even brought Nauch girls, alchoholic beverages (and probably even tobacco) into the temple, defiling the Holy site by turning it into a house of pleasure.

Enraged by the story and the fact that no Singh had already killed Massa for such beadabi (sacrilege), Bhai Sukha and Mehtab Singh mounted their horses and headed to Amritsar. Once there they disguised themselves as tax collectors and with what appeared to be large sacks of money or tribute on their shoulders they were able to enter the temple. Once inside the temple one of them immediately drew his sword and severed Massa's head like one slices a melon. In the ensuing confusion the two untied their horses from the Ber at the sarovar's edge and vanished into the forest." This happened on 11 August 1740.

Later Matab Singh's ancestral village, Mirarikot was raided by a strong military contingent under Faujadar Nurdin. Naltha, the village elder, his son, nephew and two servants were killed while attempting to escape with their ward, Rai Singh, the young son of Matab Singh. Rai Singh was also grievously wounded and was left for dead. Matab Singh the object of the raid was not found. Five years later learning of the arrest of Bhai Taru Singh, Matab Singh surrendered voluntarily to die by his side. Terrible torments were reserved for both, Bhai Taru Singh had his scalp scraped with lancets and Matab Singh was broken on the wheel in the Nakhas square in Lahore.

The chief of the Boodha Dal sent two brave men to Amritsar, where they were beheaded by the despotic repressive Massa Rangar. In the name of those two heroes, this Gurudwara Shaheed Nagar Budha Joahd was constructed by the Sikh Sangat.

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