ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BAHIR JACHCHH</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="BAHIR,JACHCHH"> <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">&#65279BAHIR JACHCHH or Bahir Jakkh, a village in Sam&#257&#7751&#257 <i>tahs&#299l</i> of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 district, situated on the left bank of the Sarasvat&#299, a small stream sacred to the Hindus, commemorates the visit of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, who is believed to have stayed here with a devotee, Mall&#257, a carpenter by trade. A small mud hut marked the site until Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh, of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, in whose territory the village lay, had a proper <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> constructed in 1840. This, too, has since been demolished and replaced by a bigger <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> and a <i>sarovar</i>, holy bathing pool.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There is a story connected with the construction of the M&#257ñj&#299 S&#257hib at Bahir Jachchh by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh. It is said that once the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, accompanied by the Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299, went on a pilgrimage to Pehov&#257, which fell in the territory of Bh&#257&#299 Ude Si&#7749gh of Kaithal. There arose a dispute over protocol between the Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299 and the R&#257&#7751&#299 of Bh&#257&#299 Ude Si&#7749gh as to who should take her dip in the Sarasvat&#299 first. The R&#257&#7751&#299 of Kaithal remarked sarcastically that, if the Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299 of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 was so jealous of her superiority even at holy places of pilgrimage, she should find a holy place in her own territory. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh, on his return to Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, enquired from the <i>pa&#7751&#7693its</i> whether there was not a comparable holy place within his dominions. The <i>pa&#7751&#7693its</i> recommended Bahir Jachchh for its location on the holy Sarasvat&#299, for its connection with the story of the <i>Mah&#257bh&#257rata</i> and for Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's visit to the place. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 then got a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> and a temple built in the village.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Gurdw&#257r&#257, named after Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur but commonly called Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bahir S&#257hib, is affiliated to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee. The management for the present is in the hands of <i>sants</i> of Pehov&#257 who are supervising its reconstruction.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> 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> <li class="C1"> Fauj&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dar: Y&#257tr&#257 Asth&#257n, Prampar&#257v&#257&#7749 to Y&#257d Chinn</i>. Patiala, 1976<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>