ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GOND&#256 CHAUDHAR&#298</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="GOND,CHAUDHAR*"> <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">&#65279GOND&#256, CHAUDHAR&#298, one of the headmen of the village of M&#363lov&#257l, now in Sa&#7749gr&#363r district of the Punjab, was converted to the Sikh faith by Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur. According to local tradition supported by old chronicles, when Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur visited M&#363lov&#257l, he stopped near the village well to find it covered with bushes. The villagers explained that its water was brackish. The Gur&#363 told them to remove the bushes covering it, and declared the water to be sweet. Not only was the old well sweetened, the Gur&#363 persuaded the villagers to sink nine more wells. Everyone present was impressed and asked for the Gur&#363's blessing, but Gond&#257 in his pride declined to receive the Gur&#363's benediction. He declared that his own prophet, Sult&#257n S&#257<u>kh</u>&#299 Sarwar, could give him what he desired and that he was already the only village head. Thereat Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur ignored him and bestowed <i>sirop&#257</i>, or head dress of honour, on seven other notables of the village. Gond&#257 left in a huff, but when he reached home and told his wife what had happened, the latter admonished him for not acknowledging the Gur&#363 who had blessed the whole village and given them sweet water. Gond&#257 recanted and came back to the Gur&#363 to ask his forgiveness. He became a Sikh and the Gur&#363 blessed him and made him the <i>chaudhar&#299</i> or the principal headman of the village again.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur</i>. Delhi, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> Trilochan Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur : Prophet and Martyr</i>. Delhi, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh and Gi&#257n&#299 Garj&#257 Si&#7749gh, eds., <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257&#7749 S&#257kh&#299&#257n</i>. Patiala, 1986<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>