Gurdwara Paonta Sahib: Difference between revisions

Gurudwara Paonta sahib

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'Gurdwara Paonta Sahibis situated in the Paonta Sahib City, Sirmour Distt. In Himachal Pardesh.

History

Gurdwara Paonta Sahib is situated at the place where the 16 year old Guru Gobind Singh first set foot in the Kingdom of Sirmour. He had been invited by Raja Medini Prakash the ruler of Sirmour to visit his kingdom. The Raja, as many other stories relate, was very hopeful of establishing a strong relationship with the powerful Sikh Guru. As a special gesture of respect, the Raja, members of his court and his city's leading merchants had traveled out from his palace in the Kingdom's capital - Nathan to greet his guest and his large party of Sikhs. It was much safer in such dangerous times when his hostile neighbors, one of whom had just grabbed control of part of his Kingdom's territories, were about (not to mention, the bands of Moghul soldiers who roamed the land in those days) to just stay in the safety of one's own Palace or fort waiting for guests to arrive. This special greeting was meant to make sure that the Guru and his Sikhs felt especially welcomed. The warm welcome apparently had the desired effect for Guru Gobind Singh would stay here for more than four years and leave a written account describing his time at Poanta Sahib as the happiest years of his life.

Poanta Sahib was built on the bank of the Yamuna River. It began as a fort, which the Raja's men aided the Guru's Sikhs to build, in record time - some have suggested that the builders were filled with extra energy as the Sikhs worked many long hours in order to finish their Guru's new home before his approaching birthday. The forests that surrounded the site abounded in wildlife of every kind. Here the beloved Guru was able to escape the intrigue, envy and down right hostility that the Rajas of the Kingdoms around the city his father Guru Tegh Bahadur had founded, which made it all but impossible for Guru Gobind Singh to write.

Here in these beautiful surroundings the Guru engaged himself not only in hunting and training his warrior Sikhs in the martial arts, but also spent a great deal of his time in literary activities, composing many works of religious, as well as heroic poetry. He filled his Darbar (court) with as many as 52 0f India's most talented poets and writers often from Benares, many of whom he put to work translating many ancient classics of Indian literature from the Sanscrit of the Priests and Khatris into the contemporary languages of Braj or Punjabi, the vernacular languages of the people.

Before leaving the area, the Guru and his Sikh army would defeated some of the neighboring Hill Chiefs who had , in his own words, 'attacked him for no cause' (the Battle of Bangani) the first battle in which the young Guru fought and the first of his victories, then later he assisted them in the Battle of Nadaun in which their combined forces routd the Mughal force of Alif Khan who had been sent to collect funds 'owed' the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. That historic battle was fought at the site where GURDWARA SHRI KAVI DARBAR SAHIB GURU SAHIB used to organize KaviDarabrs. There was very much noice of Yamuna River because of which poets get disturbed, and they complained about this to GURU SAHIB. After that with blessing of GURU SAHIB yamuna used to flow silently near to GURUDWARA SAHIB.

The Divine place secure in the shadow of the Himalayas stands holy shrine of Paonta Sahib,dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh. Paonta or Panvta on the right bank of Yamuna River, is connected with road with Yamuna Nagar (65 kilimetres) and Nahan (42 kilometers), and can also be reached from Dehradun (50 kilometers) by crossing the river at Paonta ferry. It's About 120 km away from Ambala city and The magic of the lower Himalayas works on the mind of the pilgrims who come here to pay respects to the great Guru. It can be reached from two sides, from Ambala via Nahan and straight from Yamunanagar. It is a picturesque site on the bank of the River Yamuna. One can reach Paonta Sahib from Dehradun too. Its outskirts are dotted with gardens, green meadows and tall evergreen trees, that echo the gushing waters of Yamuna;

to be reviewed

The time spent at Paonta by Guru Gobind Singh, was happiest period of his life. He enjoyed hunting in the thick forests around. The opportunites were enormous. The Guru wrote, "I enjoyed myself on the banks of Yamuna and saw amusements of different kinds." The Guru took many steps to beautify Paonta and devoted most of his time in composing poetry. He was so much enamoured of poetry that he invited fifty two poets to his court. The pleasant environment and salubrious climate refreshed his mind. Most of the time he spent in reading and writing.

It was founded in 1685 by Guru Gobind Singh, who stayed here upto 1688. During this period he engaged himself not only in hunting and training his warrior Sikhs in the martial arts, but also in literary activities composing many works of religious as well as heroic poetry and patronizing several talented poets and writers whom he employed mostly for translating ancient classics into contemporary Braj or Punjabi. Towards the end of his stay, he also fought and won the first battle of his life against a combination of hill chiefs hostile to him, in his words, 'for no cause'. Before he left for Anandpur Sahib, he appointed Bhai Bishan Singh to look after the fortress-like complex and the Gurdwara within it.

This is the place, where Guru used to hold his court and wrote the major portion of the Dassam Granth. The Guru also built the Paonta Fort. It was built in over hundred acres of land, which housed not only his followers, but as many as 46 famous poets.

The Guru left Paonta Sahib after the battle of Bhangani with Raja Fateh Shah, in which he defeated the errant ruler’s army after thirty days of battle. The Guru stayed there for over four years.The Gurudwara is situated at an elevation of of 200m a.s.l. Within its precincts are the Sri Talab Sthan, where the Guru disbursed salaries. Sri Dastar Sthan is where he judged the turban-tying competitions. At the Kavi Darbar Sthan, poetic symposia were held.A museum displays pens of the Guru and weapons of the time. There is also a memorial to Kalpi Rishi. Besides,the Guru selected a site noted for its scenic beauty and splendour and got constructed a fort on the bank of Yamuna. Here Pir Buddhu Shah a renowned Muslim saint living in Sadhaura near paonta,called on the Guru. The two had a long discourse and ultimately the muslim holyman recognised the superiority of the Guru. He became a devotee of the tenth Master.

After Guru Ji Left

Gurudwara Paonta sahib

The building was reconstructed in 1823 by Baba Kapur Singh with funds provided by Sardar Sahib Singh Sandhanwalia. The shrine and about 120 acres of land attached to it continued to be controlled by hereditary mahants until Nihangs occupied it forcibly in 1964. This was followed by a raid by Himachal Pradesh policed in which 11 Nihangs were killed. After lengthy enquiries and court proceedings, the management was entrusted to an eleven-member committee with the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as its ex-officio chairman. Meanwhile the Himachal Pradesh government had permanently allotted most of the land of Gurdwara Sri Paonta Sahib to former tenants under Big Landed Estates Abolition Act passed by it. The Gurdwara complex spreading over three acres includes, besides the main sanctum Darbar Sahib, several smaller shrines connected with the Guru's activities here. They are Talab Asthan, where pay was disbursed; Kavi Darbar Asthan, where literary works were recited and discussed; Dastar Astha, where robes of honour were given to warriors for their performance during the battle of Bhangari; a memorial to Rishi Kalpi, whom the Guru had brought from his hermitage to stay here; and the Gobind Ghat leading down to the river waters; and of course, the inevitable Guru Ka Langar. All thee places have been reconstructed or renovated during the 1980s.

History

ROUTE 1 - Haridwar 
ROUTE 2 - Paonta Sahib