Guru Nanak & Bal Gundai
Guru Nanak sahib and Bhai Mardana, having traveled through Hasan Abdal while on their return journey from the west, met with Saint Bal Gundai on a hill known as Tilla Bal Gundai in district Jhelum (now located in Pakistan). After his discourse with Saint Bal Gundai, guru ji continued his journey towards Rohtas.
Who was Bal Gundai
Bal Gundai was a well respected Sufi saint who had established a shrine on a tilla (a small hill), which even then was known as the Tilla of Bal Gundai. Even though he was well known and wealthy, he was still very down to earth. He used to serve his guests and the saints who came to his tilla, preparing food and giving them shelter. He would even provide a palinquin or sent horses for his guests, who were too weak or infirm or just too worn out from their long journey, so that they could more easily reach his hilltop shrine. He had many followers including Sidhas - (Usually elderly Hindu men who after having married and raised a family, with the all important male heir/s, would abandoned society and their families to go sit on mountain-tops, in their quest for Mukhti.)
- It was on this same hill that part of one of the four most famous tragic romances of Punjab, Heer Ranjha (Punjabi: ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ) took place. It was here (presumably earlier) on this hill then known as 'Tilla Jogian' (the 'Hill of Ascetics') that a heartbroken Dheedo Ranjha, a Jatt of the Ranjha clan became a Jogi (an ascetic). Today the story is still sung in both halves of the Punjab. The most popular version of the tale is, Heer, by Waris Shah who wrote his long poem as a child studying in a Hujra (quarters attached to a Masjid) in the village of Malka Hans, district Pak-Pattan.
Many people, before and after Shah, have penned versions of this tale; movies and even PHDs have been written on the beloved tale.
Bal Gundai and Guru Nanak meet
Reaching the base of the tilla, Guru Nanak ji stopped at a distance away from the Sufi's shrine. Bal Gundai had been told that some saintly person was on his way to his shrine and had gone out to see for himself. Looking down from his lofty perch he noticied that three visiters had apparently stopped to make camp at the base of the hill. From his vantage point he could see that a rain storm was about to overtake them. In respect, he sent some of his siddhas with a palki to bring the travelers to the safety of his shrine. Greeting Guru Nanak the Siddhas asked guru ji to sit on the palinqin and rest, leaving the arduous treck to the shrine to them, but Guru ji refused their offer, telling them that he was a faqir who could survive anywhere. Returning to the top of the hill his servants reported dutifully that Guru Nanak sahib had refused their master's offer.
Hearing this Bal Gundai promptly went down the hill to welcome Guru Nanak Sahib and invite him to his shrine. The Guru accepted Bal Gundai's invitation (we are told that along the way Bal Gundai asked Bhai Bala & Bhai Mardana to tell him about Guru Nanak sahib. Bal gundai showed guru sahib the surroundings, shrines, horses, kitchen, etc., and then prepared meals for guru sahib. The Saint then told guru sahib that everything was a gift of God as they were serving saints. Guru Nanak Sahib was extremely pleased with Bal gundai and told him he was, ""Truly a Jogi"".
Bal Gundai became a devotee of Guru Nanak sahib.
Guru Nanak Dev ji stayed with Bal Gundai for the night, but with the morning sunrise he and his companions set out for rohtas.
Memorial
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi is situated about 28 KM to the west of Jehlum. There were once footprints of guru sahib, which have since slowly erroded away.
- From Dina Railway station the 'Tilla of Bal Gundai' is only 13 km to the west.
References
- Guru Nanak Dev, By Prof. Sahib Singh
- Bhai Bala Janamsakhi
