<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BH&#256&#298 PHER&#362 GURDW&#256R&#256 (also called Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib)</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="BHĀĪ,PHERŪ,GURDWĀRĀ">
<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">&#65279BH&#256&#298 PHER&#362, GURDW&#256R&#256 (also called Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib), named after its founder, the well known Ud&#257s&#299 Sikh preacher Bh&#257&#299 Pher&#363 (1640-1706), is located at Mie&#7749 k&#299 Mau&#7771, in Ch&#363n&#299&#257&#7749 <i>tahs&#299l</i> of Lahore district in Pakistan. During Sikh times, large endowments in land extending to about 2, 750 acres were inscribed to the shrine which was administered by a line of priests belonging to Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib Ke sect of Ud&#257s&#299 Sikhs. As a campaign for bringing the Sikh places of worship under the management of a central body, the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, formed in 1920, negotiations were opened with the <i>mahant</i> or custodian for the transfer of the Bh&#257&#299 Pher&#363 Gurdw&#257r&#257 and the landed property attached to it. The Mahant, Kishan D&#257s, agreed in consideration of a monthly pension of Rs 400 and free rations for life. The Shiroma&#7751&#299 Committee took possession of the Gurdw&#257r&#257 on 28 December 1922. But later the Mahant, repudiating the agreement, filed with the police a complaint of trespass against the manager, Jagat Si&#7749gh, and other staff appointed by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Committee. The police, on 7 December 1923, arrested Jagat Si&#7749gh and ten other Sikhs. Thirty four more arrests were made on 2 January 1924. This led the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Committee to launch a <i>morch&#257</i>. Bands of Ak&#257l&#299 volunteers started courting arrest daily from 5 January 1924 onwards. The <i>morch&#257</i> was pledged to non-violence and every day volunteers offered themselves for arrest. This went on for a period of 21 months. On 20 September 1925 there occurred an incident of violence at which the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Committee called off the agitation. On 9 July 1925 the Punjab Government adopted the Sikh Gurdw&#257r&#257 Act providing for the transfer of control of Sikh shrines and their properties to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, but the matter of the Bh&#257&#299 Pher&#363 Gurdw&#257r&#257 and its properties was then before a court of law. The case was ultimately decided in favour of the reformers on 19 June 1931 enabling the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee to take over possession of the shrine and the lands. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 was abandoned at the time of mass migrations in the wake of the partition of the Punjab in 1947. Since then it is supposed to be maintained by the Pakistan Waqf Board.</p>
</font>
<p class="BIB">
BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ra&#7751dh&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Ud&#257s&#299 Sikkh&#257&#7749 d&#299 Vithi&#257</i>. Amritsar, 1959<BR>
<li class="C1"> Ashok, Shamsher Si&#7749gh, <i>Sharoma&#7751&#299 Committee d&#257 Pañj&#257h S&#257l&#257 Itih&#257s</i>. Amritsar, 1982<BR>
<li class="C1"> Josh, Sohan Si&#7749gh, <i>Ak&#257l&#299 Morchi&#257&#7749 d&#257 Itih&#257s</i>. Delhi, 1972<BR>
<li class="C1"> Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sudh&#257r arth&#257t Ak&#257l&#299 Lahir</i> [Reprint]. Amritsar, 1975<BR>
<li class="C1"> Mohinder Singh, <i>The Akali Movement</i>. Delhi, 1978<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>
�