ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BAH&#256DURGA&#7770H</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="BAHDURGAZH"> <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">&#65279BAH&#256DURGA&#7770H, Fort, 9 km northeast of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 (30º 20'N, 76º-26'E), marks the site of the old Saif&#257b&#257d Fort, the residence of Naw&#257b Saif ud-D&#299n Mahm&#363d or Saif <u>Kh</u>&#257n. The Fort was acquired by R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh (1748-82) of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in 1774 and was reconstructed by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh (1798-1845) in 1837. The latter renamed it Bah&#257durga&#7771h after Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur who had visited the place more than once. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh also raised two <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i>, one outside the Fort and the other inside it, both honouring the memory of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 SR&#298 GUR&#362 TE<u>GH</u> BAH&#256DUR, BAH&#256DURGA&#7770H, is about 200 metres north of the Fort. According to tradition, Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, during one of his travels through the M&#257lv&#257 region, stayed here at the request of Naw&#257b Saif <u>Kh</u>&#257n. The latter, a pious Muslim and an ardent admirer of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, had met the Gur&#363 earlier also. Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur arrived here on 16 H&#257&#7771 1732 Bk / 14 June 1675 and stayed in the Naw&#257b's garden, no longer extant but for a few banyan trees around a tank. Saif <u>Kh</u>&#257n requested him to prolong his sojourn here. The latter stayed on during the rainy season. On several occasions, the Naw&#257b took him inside his fort so that the ladies of his house could also benefit from the Gur&#363's <i>darshan</i> and discourse. The Gur&#363 left on 17 Ass&#363 1732 Bk/17 September 1675 to continue his travels.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is in the shape of a large <i>havel&#299</i> or fortress with an imposing three-storeyed gateway. The heavy wooden gate is set in a red stone frame under an ogee-shaped trefoil arch. The gate is flanked on either side by door-sized niches. The first floor has projecting windows, and at the top there are decorative pavilions. Octagonal turrets are built all along the outer wall at regular intervals. Inside the <i>havel&#299</i> there is a cemented court-yard with rooms all around it. The sanctum where the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated stands on a high square base in the middle. It consists of a small room crowned with a pinnacled lotus-dome and surrounded by a marble-floored verandah. The interior walls and the ceiling are set in with reflecting glass pieces and have decorative filigree work in delicate designs. Painted in miniature fresco are the portraits of the Gur&#363s. The <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> hall is at the back of the sanctum. To the north of the Gurdw&#257r&#257 is the 90-metre square <i>sarovar</i>. This Gurdw&#257r&#257 is managed by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 SR&#298 GUR&#362 TE<u>GH</u> BAH&#256DUR, BAH&#256DURGA&#7770H FORT, is a modern construction enclosing the historical shrine built by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. The original building, still intact, consists of a small room with a door on each of the four sides, radiating arches and a lotus dome. The entire interior surface is richly decorated with coloured motifs. The outer surface of the walls, however, has since been plastered and colour-washed to match the colour scheme of the enclosing hall. The hall has a flat roof supported by four square-shaped pillars. In front of it is a spacious platform with a small pool within it. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is maintained by the police contingent housed in the Fort.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>M&#257lv&#257 Desh Ra&#7789an d&#299 S&#257kh&#299 Poth&#299</i>. Amritsar, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<BR> <li class="C1"> Trilochan Si&#7749gh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur: Prophet and Martyr</i>. Delhi, 1967<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>