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'{{fa|381}} {{p|File:Gurdwara Rakab Ganj 2-m.jpg|Closeup of front Elevation}} '''Rakab Ganj''' Sahib is an important historic [[Gurdwara]] in [[Delhi]], [[India]]. It’s located at the exact spot where Dhan Sri [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]]'s headless body was cremated after the [[Mughal]] executioner, Jalaudin of Samana, beheaded the ninth [[Guru of the Sikhs]] on [[November 11]], [[1675]]. In order to awaken the conciousness of the masses and to focus the minds of the nation's elite, the ninth [[Sikh Guru]] volunteered to lay down his life so that the atrocities of the cruel Mughal empire could be thrown into the forefront of issues that were deemed important for the country at the time. Consequently, the execution of the Guru in 1675 spelt the beginning of the end of the Mughal empire. ==Background== Two brave [[Sikhs]] of the Guru, [[Lakhi Shah|Bhai Lakhi Shah Banjara]] and his son, Bhai Naghaiya rescued the headless body of the revered ninth [[Sikh Guru]] from [[Chandni Chowk]], [[Delhi]] after the execution of the Guru. Guru ji's body was rescued by these two with a convoy of several ox-driven carts carrying bales of cotton and foodstuffs. Due to the strong dust storm, these brave Sikhs managed to lift the body of the Guru without the [[Mughal]] guards discovering what was going on. These two Sikhs were able to lift the body with great speed under the cover of the storm and then conceal the body in the cart under bales of cotton. They then quickly moved towards Raisina village, the place where they lived. On reaching their abode they were able to avoid any suspicion by the authorities since [[Lakhi Shah|Bhai Lakhi Shah Banjara]] placed the body on a bed and set fire to his whole house. This place came to be known as Rakab Ganj. This tragic death of the Guru and his dedicated companions took place on [[November 11]], [[1675]] under orders of the [[Mughal]] Emperor [[Aurangzeb]]. Another devoted Sikh, [[Bhai Jaita]] took the Guru ji's head to [[Anandpur Sahib]], 500Km (300 miles) away from [[Sis Ganj]], [[Chandni Chowk]]. See [[Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur]] Sahib for further details. ==Modern Building== [[File:Photo0808.jpg|thumb|right|Panoramic view - front ]] The present location of the magnificent Gurdwara is on the Pant Road in New Delhi, facing Parliament House and North Block of Central Secretariat. The modern building is composed mainly of white marble surrounded by a beautiful garden. Like most other Sikh shrines this Gurdwara has entrances from four sides symbolizing that they are open to all without any distinction of caste or creed. This historical Gurdwara was built at a cost of 35 lakh rupees and took 15 years to complete. Sardar Harnam Singh Suri, a businessman and industrialist from New Delhi, at a meeting of the Sikh panth held in the early 1950s, in Delhi, where several prominent Sikhs had gathered to plan a suitable memorial at the holy historical site, where an ardent devotee, of the 7th, 8th, 9th Gurus, named Lakhi Shah, along with his sons, had cremated the torso of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib by setting fire to his own house. At this meeting, Sardar Harnam Singh stood up humbly, and held up his shirt like a begging bowl, and beseeched the panth to grant him the seva of building the entire Gurdwara. The panth granted his request. Harnam Singh Suri, then requested Sant Nischal Singh Ji, 'Sevapanthi' to lay the foundation stone at the construction site and Sant Nischal Singh Ji, who was then, also performing Kaar Seva at Takhat Patna Sahib, arrived at the ceremony and laid the first bricks of the building. Harnam Singh Suri, then worked diligently for almost 15 years, to complete this building. The government had him, re-design and rebuild the main dome of the building seven times, as they wanted it to be shorter than the height of the Parliament House Building. So after working on it for the 15 years he completed it in 1969. ==Historic Account== Historical records show that [[Bhai Baghel Singh|Sardar Baghel Singh]], constructed a Gurdwara in village Raisina in 1783 to perpetuate the memory of the ninth [[Guru Tegh Bahadur|Guru Sri Tegh Bahadur]]. He had conquered [[Delhi]] by leading an army of 30,000 Sikh warriors along with four other commanders. Before 1783, the Muslims of Delhi had built a mosque on this very spot. The Sikhs claimed this spot as their own sacred place in memory of the sacrifice to their Guru. [[Muslim]]s contested the claim, and there was strong objection to the dismantling of the Mosque. Rival parties stood with swords drawn and the atmosphere was tense - anything could have happened. However, the Sikhs offered to reconstruct the mosque for the Muslims with their own expense in case the urn containing the ashes of the respected Guru was not found buried beneath the Mosque that stood there. This helped calm the atmosphere and tempers cooled down. The excavation work commenced in the presence of the [[Mughal]] officials. The assertion made by the Sikhs proved to be correct and they were allowed to construct Gurdwara Rakab Ganj by Emperor Shah Alam II. He also granted two Sanads to Sikhs. One Sanad granted permission to S. Bhagel Singh to take possession of the land for construction of a Gurdwara and a garden. By the second Sanad, the Emperor also gifted 101 bighas and 5 biswas pukhta equal to about 63 acres with 3 wells land, revenue free. Sikh forces agreed to withdraw from Delhi territory peacefully after the construction of their religious shrines in the Mughal capital in lieu of these concessions. == See also== *[[Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadar]] *[[Lakhi Shah]] *[[Bhai Jaita]] *[[Banda Singh Bahadur]] *[[Bhai Baghel Singh|Sardar Baghel Singh]] *[[Mata Sahib Kaur]] ==Other Historic Gurdwara in Delhi== *[[Nanak Piao]] *[[Bangla Sahib]] *[[Sis Ganj]] *[[Gurdwara Majnu ka Tilla|Majnu Ka Tila]] *[[Gurudwara Bala Sahib|Bala Sahib]] *[[Mata Sundri]] *[[Motibagh]] *[[Damdama Sahib Delhi]] ==External Links== *[http://www.worldGurudwara.com WorldGurudwara.com] *[http://www.worldkhalsa.com/public/gurud/india/delhi/rakab.html Worldkahalsa.com] *[http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/gurus/TegBahadur/TegBahadur.htm Sikh-Heritage.co.uk] *[http://www.gurudwaras.4t.com/photo4.html Gurudwara.4t.com] *[http://allaboutsikhs.com/history/his0503.htm AllAboutSikhs.com] *[https://upinder.blogspot.com/2005/12/here-are-few-photographs-of-gurudwara.html Illuminated Gurudwara Rakab Ganj] ==Gallery== <gallery caption="Picture Gallery" widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="4"> File:Gurdwara Rakab ganj.jpg|Aerial view of Gurdwara Rakab ganj<br>'''[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=28.618729,77.205257&spn=0.007054,0.013937&z=17 Google maps link to aerial view]''' File:Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib 1.jpg|Front view of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib<br>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/8117335@N04/ by flickr Bob Arora] File:Inside view of Gurdwara Rakab ganj.jpg|Inside Darbar Sahib at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib<br>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/8117335@N04/ by flickr Bob Arora] File:Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib 3.jpg|view from the entrance at the roundabout to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] File:The sign at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.jpg|The sign at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib<br>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] File:The front entrace to Rakab Ganj.jpg|The front entrance at the roundabout to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] File:Courtyard at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj.jpg|Courtyard at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] File:Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib 5.jpg|view through the greenery of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] File:Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib 4.jpg|Sangat at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib [http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliabadim/ by flickr Aliabadim] Image:Rakab002.jpg Image:Rakab001.jpg|Notice Board at Rakab Ganj Click to Enlarge </gallery> [[File:Photo0804.jpg|800px|Panoramic view inside Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib]] [[Category:Gurdwaras in Delhi]]'