ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AURA&#7748G&#256B&#256D (19º-54'N, 75º-20'E)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="AURADGBD"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279AURA&#7748G&#256B&#256D, (19º-54'N, 75º-20'E) is a district town in Mah&#257r&#257sh&#7789ra. It is a railway station on the Manm&#257&#7693-K&#257ch&#299gud&#257 section of the South Central Railway, 114 km from Manm&#257&#7693 towards N&#257nde&#7693. The site was once the capital of the Y&#257davas of Devgir&#299 or Deog&#299r in the 12th and 13th centuries; Aura&#7749gz&#299b established his headquarters here when he was appointed governor of the four Deccan provinces in AD 1636. When as emperor he came to the Deccan in 1681 (never to return to the north again), he first stayed at Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d, later shifting to Ahmadnagar.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1706, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh had sent Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh and Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh as his emissaries to the Deccan with his letter, known as the <i>Zafarn&#257mah</i>, addressed to Emperor Aura&#7749gz&#299b. The Sikhs halted for a short while at Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d, on their way to Ahmadnagar, where they found that it was almost impossible to see the emperor and deliver to him the letter personally as the Gur&#363 had directed. Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh sent his colleague back to the Gur&#363 with a letter seeking his advice. But before Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh could re-join him with further instructions from the Gur&#363, Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh had managed to have the letter delivered and had returned to Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d. The two went back to the Gur&#363, then travelling in R&#257jasthan.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d, Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh had stayed with a Sikh whose house became a meeting-place for the Gur&#363's disciples. The place, located in Dh&#257m&#299 Mohall&#257 in the interior of the town, is now known as Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh. The present building was constructed by the local <i>sa&#7749gat</i> in the 1960's.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> is managed by a local committee. Sikh services are held morning and evening and important anniversaries and festivals are observed. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 <i>granth&#299</i> runs a class for young resident scholars in scripture-reading.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>