Gurdwara Mata Kaulan

Gurdwara Kaulan at the side of the Sarvor Kaulsar

A view of Gurdwara Baba Atal which lies adjacent to Kaulsar Sarovar, where karseva is taking place — Photo by Rajiv Sharma

KAULSAR SAHIB On the west-side of Gurdwara Baba Atal in Amritsar, Punjab lies, a Sarovar (pool) known as Kaulsar Sahib or Kaulsar Sarvor, named after a holy muslim lady called Bibi Kaulan, the daughter of Qazi of Lahore. She was a highly spiritual women who was above religious divides and took refuge with the sixth master Guru Hargobind Ji at Amritsar (1606-1645). The samadh of this lady, who is called Mata Kaulan lies at the western end of the Kaulsar Gurdwara.

The significance of Gurdwara Mata Kaulan and Kaulsar sarovar could be adjudged from the fact that Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, had directed the devotees to take dip in Kaulsar before the Golden Temple sarovar.(sakhi to this effect is written right outside the entrance of Gurdwara Bibi Kaulan, adjacent to Darbar Sahib).

Kaulsar is one of the five holy tanks of Amritsar city including Santokhsar, Bibeksar, Ramsar and the Golden Temple.

In March 2004, the karseva of the first-ever sarovar named after a muslim woman, Mata Kaulan, adjoining the Golden Temple was completed when filteration system was also installed. Significance of Gurdwara Mata Kaulan and Kaulsar sarovar could be adjudged from the fact that Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, had directed the devotees to take dip in Kaulsar before the Golden Temple sarovar.