HAZUR SAHIB

                                                     

Hazur Sahib Nanded

view of the gurdwara

Hazūr Sāhib (Punjabi: ਹਜੂਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) (Marathi: हज़ुर साहिब) (Kannada: "ಹೠುರ ಸಾಹಿಬ") hazūrī sāhib from Arabic الصاحب‎ حضور ḥaḍūr al-ṣāḥib "presence of themaster"), also spelled Hazoor Sahib, more called as Takht Sri Hazur Sahiband also known as Abchal Nagar, is one of the five takhts ("thrones", seats of temporal authority) in Sikhism. It is located on the banks of the River Godavariat the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, Western India. It is where the 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji completed his last breath. The gurudwarawithin the complex is known Sach-Khand "Realm of Truth".

The structure is built at the place of death of Guru Gobind Singh. The inner room of the gurdwara is called the Angitha Sahib and is built over the place where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708. The construction of the gurdwara was done from 1832 to 1837 by order of Maharaja Ranjit Singh(1780–1839).

Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib is the principthe Indian state Deccan region. It marks the site where Guru Gobind Singh had his camp in 1708, after the departure of the Emperor Bahadur Shah and where, in October 2008, the 300th anniversary celebration of the Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib took place. The tenth Guru held his court and congregation here. It is the site of his own tent where he was convalescing after he was attacked by assassins and the place at which Guru Gobind Singh ji 's light rose to rejoin the light of the Creator. This site is now one of five Takhats which are places of primary importance to the Sikhs. The other four takhats are: Akal Takhat at Amritsar, Takhat Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur, Takhat Patna Sahib in Bihar District and Takhat Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Bhatinda, Punjab.

In 1708 being prescient of the end of his earthly role, the Guru had dispatched Banda Singh with five of his Sikhs to Punjab and Mata Sahib Devan under a separate escort to Delhi before the stabbing incident. He told the rest of his retinue to retire to their homes if they so wished, but he made one Bhai Santokh Singh to stay on here and keep Guru ka Langar going. However, many others also chose to remain. Together they built a room over the platform where Guru Gobind Singh would sit while holding his court and installed the Guru Granth Sahib on it. They called it Takhat Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh, while conferring Guruship on the holy Book, had himself named Nanded as "Abchalnagar" (literally "Steadfast city") after the first word of a hymn read at random on the occasion.

Sachkhand (literally "region of Truth") had been used by Guru Nanak Dev to mean the abode of God. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Sher-e-Panjab had the present building of the Takhat Sahib constructed with money, artisans and labor sent from the Punjab during the early 1830s. Around the same time the Nizam of Hyderabad State a Muslim Ruler of the Deccan Region raised a contingent of Northern Sikhs as part of his army. Most of these men settled permanently in Hyderabad State and also Many militant and righteous Hindus of the Deccan embraced Sikhism in the 19th century. The control of Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib, which had formerly passed into the hands of Udasi Sikh priests was regained by the Sikhs under the influence of the Singh Sabha Movement of the late nineteenth century. Some of the 'rituals and ceremonies connected with working' are peculiar to this Takhat Sahib. In 1956 an Act was passed by the legislature of Hyderabad under which the management of the Takhat Sahib and other historical Gurdwaras was legally placed under a 17 member Gurudwaras Board and a five member Managing Committee.

The Takht houses both the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Sri Dasam Granth. This follows the pattern of Takht Sri Patna Sahib.

[edit]300 years (Gur-Ta-Gaddi) Celebrations at Hazoor Sahib, Nanded

In 2008, the 300'th Gurudomship Ceremony of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji and 300'th Death Anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singhji were celebrated on a grand scale at Hazoor Sahib, Nanded. Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh also addressed to the Sad-Sangat on the main event function. To publicize the event the "Jagriti Yatra" was arranged which travelled through different cities across the country and also some places in abroad.

Interior view of the gurdwara

[edit]List of historical Gurudwaras in Nanded

1. Nagina Ghat

2. Banda Ghat(Place of Banda Singh Bahaddar)

3. Shikaar Ghat

4. Heera Ghat

5. Mata Sahib ji

6. Maal Tekdi

7. Sangat Sahib ji

8. Damdama Sahib(Basmat Nagar, Parbhani)

9. Nanakpur Sahib(Place of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji)

10.Gurdwara Mahakal Sahib Gurudwara Mahakaal Saheb Ji

11.Gurudwara Lohgarh Sahib ji

12.Gurudwara Bhajangarh Saheb ji

HEMKUNT SAHIB

                                                History Of  Sri Hemkunt Sahib 

Gurudwara Hemkunt in the Himalayas is also regarded as one of the holiest places of the Sikhs. It was there that Sri Guru Gobind Singh the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs is reported to have meditated in his previous life. In 'Bachitar Natak' the great Guru relates his story in the following words- "I shall now relate my own story, how God sent me into this world. I was busy performing penance on the hills of 'Hemkunt' where seven peaks are prominent. The place is called 'Sapt Shring’ where King Pandu had performed Yoga, there I practiced austerity and worshipped the god of death. He writes in his autobiography that Ram Chander son of Raja Dasrath had two sons Lava and Kushu. Lava and Kushu ruled    over  Northern India for many years. They remained good friends during their rule and they colonized two important cities Lahore   and Kasur in Punjab. But when they died their sons could not tolerate each other. They became great enemies. In order to get their  supremacy they quarreled with each other, One grand son of Lava named Sodhi won the battle and became the king of Punjab. The grandsons of Kushu being defeated took shelter at Banaras.   There they learnt the Vedaas.  Due to their knowledge of Vedaas, they were nick named as Bedees. The Guru writes “Lavee sarab jeete Kushee sarab haare. Bache je balee praan lai kai sidhaare. Chattur bed pathiyang keeyo Kashi basing.     Ghanai barkh keene tahaan hee niwasing. (52)” One-day king Sodhi remembered his relatives living at Banaras. He made up his mind to call them. He sent a messenger and all Bedees reached in the Darbar of King Sodhi at Lahore. King Sodhi asked them to recite the four Vedaas according to the divine process. When the Bedees recited three Vedaas and started to read the fourth Vedaa, the King Sodhi got up from his throne. He asked the leader of the Bedees to take his royal seat. He offered his kingdom to the Bedees with great honor. He himself decided to go to forests in order to contemplate the Name of God.When king Sodhi got prepared for his new abode, the newly crowned king Bedee said, "As you have gifted us the worldly kingdom after hearing three Vedaas, similarly in Kalyug we would offer you the Divine Kingdom in our third incarnation. In Kalyug Guru Nanak was born as first Divine master. He was called the true Patshah. After reigning as the Divine King in the form of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Angad Dev and Guru Amar Dass, he offered his Divine kingdom to Sodhi Patshah Guru Ram Dass Ji. The Sodhi king grandson of Lava proceeded towards jungles and he selected a very beautiful place for his abode. He worshiped there the name of God for many thousand years. About his own life Guru Gobind Singh writes in his auto-biography as under: - Ab main apnee katha bakhaano. Tap saadhat iih bidh muhe aano. Hemkunt Parbat hai jahaan, Sapt sring sobhit hai tahaan. The Guru Ji tells us about his previous incarnation, that in the Himalayan range, where there is Sapt Sring Mountain, on that hill he meditated the Name of God. In his meditation when he became one with God, then the Almighty ordained him to take birth in India in order to crush the cruel rulers. "My father and mother meditated on the incomprehensible. They both practiced the highest yoga through diverse spiritual efforts. Their devout service in the love of God pleased the Almighty who commanded me to take human form in this world. I did not like to come. God sent me into the world with a mandate saying, 'I cherish thee as my son and send thee to establish the path of truth. Go into the world and establish virtue and keep the people, away from evil.'When my father came to Triveni (Allahabad) he daily devoted himself to meditation and charity. There at Allahabad the dazzling light manifested itself into human form." Ih bidh karat tappsaya bhayo Davai te ek roop havai gayo. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chit na bhayo hamro aavan kaih Chubhi rahee srut Prabhu chaman maih Jio tio Prabh ham ko samjhaayo.                                                                          Im Kaih kai ih lok Pathaayo. The Guru was so much engrossed in the Name of God, that he did not want to take re-birth. But some how the Almighty, persuaded him and he was born at Patna Sahib. His mother was Mata Gujri and his father was ninth Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib. As Guru Gobind Singh had mentioned, the place of his previous incarnation in his auto-biography, many sikh scholars tried very hard to locate the exact place. In this field the names of Sant Sohan Singh, Hawaidar Moan Singh, Sant Thandi Singh and Sant Surat Singh are taken with great respect. They dedicated their whole life to locate the exact place in order to construct the Gurdwara Hemkunt Sahib. In this field the services of the Hem Kunt-Trust are laudable. The Trust has constructed roads leading towards Hemkunt Sahib and for the benefit of the travellers it has built big Gurdwaras on the way.