ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GHU&#7770&#256&#7750&#298 KAL&#256&#7748</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="GHUZF*,KALD"> <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">&#65279GHU&#7770&#256&#7750&#298 KAL&#256&#7748, an old village in Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 district, was visited by Gur&#363 Hargobind in whose memory two <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> have since been constructed.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 CHOL&#256 S&#256HIB P&#256TSH&#256H&#298 CHHEV&#298&#7748 is inside the village and marks the residence of Bh&#257&#299 S&#363rti&#257, the local <i>mas&#257nd</i>, leader of the local Sikh group, at the time of the Gur&#363's visit. Gur&#363 Hargobind is said to have stayed with him for 45 days. He was pleased by his devotion and bestowed upon him a few articles, the following of which are still preserved in the Gurdw&#257r&#257 as sacred relics:</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1. A <i>chol&#257</i> or loose gown with 52 strings attached to it. This is believed to be the cloak Gur&#363 Hargobind was wearing when, holding on to it, 52 captive princes secured their release from the Gw&#257l&#299or Fort. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is named after this relic.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2. A <i>poth&#299</i> or sacred book. It is a small handwritten volume containing some of the <i>ba&#7751&#299s</i> from the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. The page at which it is kept open for display shows the first <i>&#347lok&#257</i> and part of the first <i>a&#7779&#7789pad&#299</i> of the <i>Sukhman&#299</i> in golden characters of the Gurmukh&#299 script.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3. A single shoe done in handsomely embroidered velvet cloth.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The area around Ghu&#7771&#257&#7751&#299 later fell under the influence of the followers of B&#257b&#257 R&#257m R&#257i who lacked proper respect for the Sikh Gur&#363s. In 1710, a complaint reached Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur, the conqueror of Sirhind, that the priests of Ghur&#257&#7751&#299 had not only insulted a Sikh, Bul&#257k&#299 Si&#7749gh, and broken his rebeck, but also used insolent language about the Gur&#363s. Band&#257 Si&#7749gh occupied the territory, chastised the R&#257m R&#257&#299&#257 <i>masands</i> of Ghu&#7771&#257&#7751&#299 and appointed Bul&#257k&#299 Si&#7749gh <i>th&#257ned&#257r</i>, local police chief, of the district.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The present building, standing on a two-metre high plinth, consists of a rectangular hall, enclosing the old Mañj&#299 S&#257hib. The room where the sacred relics are kept was added in 1958. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is affiliated to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee which manages it through a local committee. All the principal anniversaries on the Sikh calendar are observed in the Gurdw&#257r&#257, but two special festivals are the birthday of Gur&#363 Hargobind and Hol&#257. Hol&#257 in this village marks the day on which Gur&#363 Hargobind arrived here - 25 Ph&#257gun 1688 Bk corresponding to 21 February 1632.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 NIMSAR outside the village to the east of it was a pond to which Gur&#363 Hargobind used to repair early in the morning for ablutions and meditation. An old <i>nim</i> (Margo) tree, believed to have sprouted from one of the tooth-cleansing twigs the Gur&#363 once stuck here, still stands. The pond has now been converted into a properly lined tank and a magnificent <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> has been constructed on its bank. A brick-paved platform surrounds the <i>nim</i> tree. A small room, with a raised platform inside it, signifies the spot where Gur&#363 Hargobind sat for meditation. In this room is also preserved a relic, a portion of the string netting of the bedstead used by the Gur&#363 in the house of Bh&#257&#299 S&#363rt&#299&#257, the <i>masand</i>. It is a very fine twine of two strands of <i>muñj</i> fibre which is a rare specimen of the craftsmanship of old days. The main building, a 13-metre square hall, constructed in 1971, stands on a two-metre high plinth. Above the hall over the <i>prak&#257sh asth&#257n</i> is a domed room with an ornamental gold pinnacle and <i>kha&#7751&#7693&#257</i> as the finial. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is administered by the same committee as manages Gurdw&#257r&#257 Chol&#257 S&#257hib.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Amritsar, n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<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>