HISTORY, LEGENDS & MYTHOLOGY

The legend of Gurudwara Thehri Sahib
by Sharwan Chaudhary

     Muktsar: Situated on the Malout-Bhatinda road lies the Gurwara Tehri Sahib, a place blessed by the visit of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh while on his way to Damdama Sahib, after winning the battle of Muktsar. According to legend, when the Guru, along with his Sikh warriors, made a stopover at the village of Thehri, a yogi named Hukum Nath tried to impress him with his mystical powers, but failed in his attempt for none of his powers worked in the presence of Guru Gobind Singh. It is also believed that in this place, in order to test the Sikhs, the Guru lowered his arrow to salute the grave of the Muslim saint, Qasim Bhatti. When his followers immediately asked the Guru to pay a fine of twenty-five rupees for this unlawful act, he willingly accepted the punishment. Bhai Kuldeep Singh, a priest at Gurudwara Thehri Sahib, said: "By this, Guru Gobind Singh wanted to test his Sikh followers, and see whether they were true to their faith. The Guru said, in future the Sikhs would be the protectors of the Sikh faith and `maryada'. They would prosper and grow from strength to strength following his teachings". It is also believed that Guru Gobind Singh halted near a group of three `Jand' trees and rested his arms and belt on them. The trees, which are almost 300 years old, still stand as a testimony to his visit inside the gurudwara complex. Manjit Singh, a devotee, said: "As this place was visited by the Guru Gobind Singh, people have great faith in it. They come from far-off and near to pay obeisance. The Guru blessed the place by saying that whosoever comes here with devotion will get his wishes fulfilled". Managed by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the old structure of the Gurudwara was transformed into a marbled building in July 2000.
-Feb 26, 2006    

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