India is famous for its large Hindu temples, amazing Jain temples, mosque and grand white Gurdwaras. In this interaction with you, I am going to discuss about Gurdwaras, beyond the known ones. Gurdwara is the place of worship for Sikhs and it literally means ‘door to the Guru’ or ‘the residence of the Guru’. The unique thing about a Gurdwara is that it is open to people of all faiths and where free food is served to one and all, free of charge, regardless of their religion, caste, gender, economic condition, or ethnicity.
A little about the religion: In the 15th
century a religion emerged in India that preached equality, bravery and
generosity. The humble saint Guru Nanak founded Sikhism, which proved to be one
of the powerful religions in Indian history. Today Sikhism is the fourth
largest religion in India. Sikhs are known for their bravery and valor.
India is home to probably 95% of the Sikh
population who worship in 1000s of Gurdwaras across the nation. Even with
thousands of Gurdwaras established across the nation, they have managed the
cleanest and most organized places of worship in India. Let us take a tour to
some of the best Gurdwaras in India, beyond
the known ones:
1. Gurudwara
Shri Guru Nanak Ji, Kasauli
Carved out of white marble, Gurudwara Guru Nanakji is a famous site in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. This Gurudwara is counted amongst the oldest Gurudwaras of Sikhism. It holds great religious importance and is frequently visited by numerous Sikhs and Non-Sikh devotees as well. Like other Sikh altars, Gurudwara Shri Guru Nanakji has no symbols, statues, or religious pictures inside the preface, other than the holy book of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib within its premises. The Gurudwara also offers accommodation facilities.
2. Nada
Sahib,Panchkula
The Nada Sahib Gurudwara , situated on the bank of the river
Ghaggar, Panchkula, Haryana, in the Shivalik foothills. It is famous for being
the site where the tenth and last guru, Guru Gobind Singh had made a halt while
he was travelling from Paonta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after his victory at the
battle of Bhangani in 1688. It is said Nadu Shah Lubana of the adjoining
village served him and his followers with milk and food.
Religious gatherings and community meals take place every day. The full moon day every month is celebrated as a festive occasion attended by a large number of people from the northern region.
3. Nanakmatta
Gurudwara, Uttrakhand
Situated on the bank of a reservoir Nanak Sagar, Gurudwara
Nanak Mata ( often pronounced as Matta) Sahib is associated with the first
Guru, Guru Nanak Devji who went there during his third Udasi in 1514 A.D. It is
one of the one of the holiest site for Sikhs in the state of Uttarakhand.
Gurdwara Nanak Matta Sahib
was the abode of the devotees of Guru Gorakhnath and it was called
"Gorakhmata". The yogis who lived there did not want the local people
to become learned enough to challenge his superiority. Therefore, by using
their occult power, they successfully exploited the poor people and obtain
advantage due to their ignorance. It was Guru Nanak ji who enlightened the Yogis to the way of meditation
and salvation.
4. Gurudwara Majnu ka Tila,
Delhi
Gurudwara Majnu ka Tila ( the hillock of Majnu), situated in North Delhi and reckoned to be the oldest Sikh shrine in Delhi. It is named after a local Iranian Sufi mystic, Abdulla, nicknamed Majnu (lost in love) by Guru Nanak Devji. Majnu used to ferry people across the Yamuna for free, as a service to God. His devotion resulted in Guruji staying there for some days. The sixth Guru, Guru Har Gobind Singh, also stayed there for quite some time and this is also one of the reasons that this place holds so much importance amongst Sikh devotees. Sikh military leader Baghel Singh Dhaliwal built the Majnu ka Tila Gurudwara to commemorate the stay in 1783
5. Gurudwara
Nanak Jhira Sahib,Bidar, Karnataka
One of the most important Gurudwaras of South India, this magnificient holy site of the followers of Sikhism is a historical shrine located in Bidar in Karnataka. Dedicated to the first Guru, Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, this majestic shrine was built a year after India’s independence in 1948.
It is said that Guru Nanak was staying on the outskirts of
the place, where there was an acute shortage of water, and the people were dying.
Touched by their plight Guru Nanak touched a part of the hillside with his toes
and removed some debris, immediately a fountain of sweet water gushed out from
there. Today the Gurudwara stands on the side of the fountain. A large number of
devotees throng the Gurudwara thrice a year, Holi, Dussehra, and Guru Nanak
Birthday.
6. Gurudwara
Mata Kaulan, Amritsar
Gurudwara Mata Kaulan, located near the Golden Temple in Amritsar, is one of the popular
gurudwaras of Amritsar as well as Punjab. The gurudwara is significant as it is
named after a spiritual Muslim lady named Bibi Kaulan. Kaulan means ‘the one who
is living in the abode of Lotus’. She is said to have accompanied a Muslim
saint Mian Mir, who had laid the foundation stone for the Golden Temple more
400 years ago, and had taken refuge with the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind Ji.
During the plague epidemic,Sikhs came from Amritsar to Lahore and served the patients with their own hands. This dedication of the Sikhs impressed Kaulanji as she too became a disciple of the true Guru.
7. Ram
Rai Gurudwara,Dehradun
Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Ram
Rai Gurudwara is one of the most intriguing yet sought-after holy shrines in
Sikhism today. The Gurudwara was built by Baba Ram Rai or Guru Ram Rai, the
eldest son of Sri Har Rai Ji, the seventh Guru of Sikhs, in the 17th century.
Devotees from the Udaseen sect, within the Sikh community, visit the Gurudwara all around the year. The Gurudwara was built by Guru Ram Rai after he was banished
by the orthodox Sikh sect from his home town in order to stop him from becoming
the Sikh Guru.
Guru Ram Rai’s brother Guru Har Krishan was the eighth of the
ten Sikh Gurus.
Inputs and pics courtesy Google, Wikipedia, holidify.com,
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