<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AYODHY&#256 (26º-45'N, 82º-10'E)</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279AYODHY&#256 (26º-45'N, 82º-10'E), on the right bank of the River Sary&#363, also known as Gh&#257ghar&#257, is sacred to the Hindus as the birthplace of Lord R&#257ma. This ancient town has Sikh shrines in memory of the First, the Ninth and the Tenth Gur&#363s. All three are located within 50 metres of each other near Brahm&#257's Tap Sth&#257n (Brahm&#257 Ku&#7751&#7693) on Sary&#363 bank, and are collectively called Gurdw&#257r&#257 Brahmaku&#7751&#7693. The memorial commemorating Gur&#363 N&#257nak's visit at the beginning of the sixteenth century consists of only a Sikh flag on a platform constructed in 1972. Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur visited Ayodhy&#257 in 1670 while on his way back to the Punjab from the eastern parts. It is said that after offering obeisance at the then existing shrine of Gur&#363 N&#257nak he sat near by in meditation continuously for 48 hours. Before he left, the Br&#257hma&#7751 priest serving the shrine made a request for a keepsake, and the Gur&#363 left his wooden sandals with him. The pair is still kept in Gurdw&#257r&#257 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh J&#299. A platform was raised on the site in memory of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's visit. A room was constructed over it by the Sikh troops of Faiz&#257b&#257d cantonment in 1975. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is ushered in only on the occasion of the chain of 51 Akha&#7751&#7693 P&#257&#7789hs held here commencing from Ass&#363 <i>sud&#299</i> 1 and concluding on Maghar <i>sud&#299</i> 5 to honour the martyrdom anniversary of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh passed through Ayodhy&#257 when, as a child, he was travelling from Pa&#7789n&#257 to Anandpur. A platform was raised to commemorate the visit. This, like the other two shrines, was looked after by Br&#257hma&#7751 priests till about the middle of the nineteenth century when B&#257b&#257 Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, a Kashm&#299r&#299 Sikh, came and occupied the site. The present building was constructed in 1899. It commands a panoramic view of a landscape sprawling beyond the lazily flowing Sary&#363 River. The central domed room, octagonal in shape and with a marble floor, is called Si&#7749gh&#257san Sth&#257n (Throne Room) Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh J&#299. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated in a rectangular room in front of it. The relics preserved in the Si&#7749gh&#257san Sth&#257n include, in addition to the pair of sandals left by Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, an all-steel arrow, a ka&#7789&#257r (dagger), and a <i>chakra</i> (quoit). There are also two hand-written volumes - a copy of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib transcribed in 1838 Bk/AD 1781 and a copy of the <i>Dasam Granth</i>.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<BR>
<li class="C1"> T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Amritsar, n. d.<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR>
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