Gurdwara Likhansar Sahib

Gurdwara Likhansar Sahib, also known as Guru Ki Kashi, is an historical Sikh shrine situated in Talwandi Sabo in Bhathinda Distt. It is a square hall, including a domed sanctum within it, at the southeastern corner of the sarovar, holy tank. Likhansar derive from two words Likhan i.e writing and Sar i.e sarover or holy pond i.e The Pond Of Writing.

In Talvandī Sabo (Damdama Sahib) under Guru Gobond Singh’s supervision his scholars and calligraphers Bhai Mani Singh and Baba Dip Singh compiled the Dasam Granth, and made four copies of the Guru Granth Sahib.

It was here that Bhai Mani Singh ji who used a kalam/s to pen the Guru Granth Sahib dictated by Guru Gobind Singh. Later the Guru Sahib threw all the ink and kalams (a reed carved into a pen) into the Gurdwara's Sarovar and gave a blessing saying, 'whomsoever shall write the thirty five words of the Gurmukhi here will be blessed with a sharp mind'. According to Bhai Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi 10, there used to be a pool of water here in the days of Gurū Gobind Siṅgh, who sitting here sometimes would have reed-pens for the writers made and then throw them into the pool. Once, Bhai Dalla, the local chief converted a disciple, entreated him to explain why he ordered thousands of pens to be cut and thrown away. To quote the Sĝkhī Pothī the Gurū said : "Thousands of Sikhs will hereafter study the holy texts in this place and then pens will come into use. This is our Kĝshī (seat of learning); those who study here will cast off their ignorance and rise to be authors, poets and commentators. "

Guru ji blessed this place giving it the name Guru Ki Kashi.

Legend has it that the Guru immersed Bhai Mani Singh’s reed-pen and ink in the pond saying that from this place rivers of knowledge will flow and from the school of learning many scholars and poets will emerge. Now there is a Gurdwara named Likhansar (The Pond of Writing) at the spot where pilgrims bow before the Punjabi alphabet (Painti Gurmukhi). There used to be a sand pit in the gurdwara on which mothers made their young children put the first letter of the script a holding their hand. Now there is marble all over.