Thaindian News

By Avtar Gill

Abohar, May 1 (ANI): The travels of the Sikh Gurus, their miracles and achievements in battle fields are all inextricably linked with various Gurudwaras.

The 17th century Gurudwara Gursar in Mehraj Village of Punjab’s Bathinda district is one such gurudwara which commemorates the historic victory of the Sikhs over Mughal forces.

Legend has it that a Mughal governor in Lahore captured two horses gifted by an Afghan devotee to Guru Hargobind, the 6th Sikh Guru. The Guru sent his envoy, Bhai Bidhi Chand, who rescued the horses from the royal stable in Lahore. To take revenge, an imperial force of 22,000 troops was sent towards Mehraj Village under the command of Qammar Beg and Lella Beg. But Sikhs, though vastly outnumbered, defeated the attacking force.

“Guru ji had around 4,500 Sikh soldiers against the 22,000 Mughal troops. In the battle, Guru Sahib lost 1,273 saint soldiers including Kirth Bhatt Ji and Bhai Jetha Ji. Guru’s soldiers fought bravely against the huge Mughal army. On the other side Mughals suffered heavy casualties and fled back to Lahore leaving behind the dead and wounded. Guru Sahib built a tank called Gurusar to mark the victory,” said Chattar Singh, a villager. In memory of those killed in the battle a memorial, Shahid Ganj, was built opposite to the main gurudwara. Next to the memorial is a centuries old `Beri’ tree, where Guru’s Afghan horses were tied.

Here devotees tie a thread on the branches of the tree for the fulfillment of their wishes.Thousands of devotees visit this place today.

“We have an ardent belief in this holy spot. Villagers here don’t cut their hair or shave their beard because it’s a symbol of Sikh’s courage and bravery,” said Ranjeet Kaur, a villager.

“The entire village organizes an annual fair in remembrance of the sacrifice of our ancestors. They have done a lot for us. All wishes are fulfilled here. We are very grateful to our ancestors. I feel very lucky to have taken birth in this village and I hope that I will be born again in this village in my next birth,” said Satnam Singh, a villager.

Guru Hargobind named this place `Gurusar’ and declared it a place of pilgrimage. The old building constructed by Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha in 1843 was replaced during the 1980s by the successors of Gurmukh Singh Sewawale. Gurudwara Gurusar Mehraj today as a memorial of the Sikhs. (ANI)