Tapa
Tapa is a small market town 19 km southwest of Barnala (30022'N, 75032'E) in Sangrur district of the Punjab. The town claims a historical shrine, Gurdwara Tibba Sahib Patshahi IX, dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur. The original building constructed by Maharaja Karam Singh (1798-1845) of Patiala has since been replaced by a more spacious complex raised by Baba Narain Suigh Moni, who also has continued to manage it. The central building is a rectangular hall, with canopied seats for the Holy Volumes. Guru ka Langar is near the entrance gate, and a small walled sarovar is just outside the compound. Besides the daily prayers and kirtan, largely attended assemblies take place on the first of each Bikrami month. All major anniversaries on the Sikh calendar are observed.
References
1. Gurmukh Singh, Historical Sikh Shrines. Amritsar, 1995
2. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Gurduarian. Amritsar, n.d
TAPA
(lit. a practidoner of physical austerities) is the name given by Sikh chroniclers to an ascetic who once came to Guru Ram Das and, proud of the penances he had undergone, said, "Thy Sikhs are very proud ; they acknowledge not the Vedas and the Puranas ; they make no pilgrimages ; nor do they fast or observe the varnasrama. dharma or distinctions of caste. Thy Sikhs only reverence thee and recognize thy compositions. Their adoration is confined to the utterance ofVahiguru. I see no religious disposition in them whatsoever. However will they attain the comfort of heaven ?" Guru Ram Das, says the Mahima Pra.ka.sh, said, "Thou dost not know the comfort ofsadh sangat, fellowship of the holy. Pious fellowship is what Sikhs seek. They desire not heaven. You are proud of your penances and pilgrimages. Sikhs derive comfort from serving odiers with humility." The Tapa fell at the Guru's feet and took his precept.
References
1. Bhalla, Sarup Das, Mahima Prakash. Patiala, 1971
2. Santokh Singh, Bhai, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1927-35
3. Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The Sikh Religion : Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. Oxford, 1909
