ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>KO&#7788L&#256 NIHA&#7748G KH&#256N</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="KOlL,NIHADG"> <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">&#65279KO&#7788L&#256 NIHA&#7748G <u>KH</u>&#256N, about two and a half kilometres south of Ropa&#7771 (30º-58'N, 76º-31'E), owes its prominence to Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bha&#7789&#7789h&#257 S&#257hib. The village is named after the local chief, Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n, a god-fearing Af<u>gh</u>&#257n contemporary of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh first visited Ko&#7789l&#257 Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n while on his way back from P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 to Anandpur. The site of the present Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bha&#7789&#7789h&#257 S&#257hib used to be a lime kiln which was the property of Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n. It is said that the kiln was still smouldering when the Gur&#363 arrived here on Magghar <i>vad&#299</i> Am&#257vas, 1745 Bk/12 November 1688 and, inadvertantly or otherwise, rode on to it. As soon as the hooves of his horse touched the kiln, it cooled. Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n fell at the Gur&#363's feet and became forever his devoted follower. He escorted him to his <i>havel&#299</i> and put him up for the night with reverence and attention. The Gur&#363 again passed through Ko&#7789l&#257 Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n while returning from the solar eclipse in 1702/1703. The third visit was on 6 December 1705 when Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, after crossing the Sars&#257 cut across straight towards Ko&#7789l&#257 Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n, detaching 100 of his warriors under Bh&#257&#299 Bachittar Si&#7749gh to cover his flank. He safely reached Kotla where, relaxing in Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n's house, he waited for Bachittar Si&#7749gh. The latter engaged the pursuing host, but most of his men perished in the action. He himself was seriously wounded and brought in that condition to Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n's house by S&#257hibz&#257d&#257 Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh and Bh&#257&#299 Madan Si&#7749gh. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh charged Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n with looking after Bachittar Si&#7749gh, and proceeded with the remaining forty-odd Sikhs towards Chamkaur.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Informed that Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n was sheltering Sikhs, the Mu<u>gh</u>al troops searched his house. Bachittar Si&#7749gh lay half-dead in a small room attended by Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n's daughter. Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n showed no sign of perturbation, and succeeded in keeping away the search party from that room saying that inside his daughter was nursing her sick husband. The danger was averted, but the life of Bh&#257&#299 Bachittar Si&#7749gh could not be saved. He succumbed to his injuries and breathed his last on 8 December 1705. Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n had the cremation performed secretly the following night.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh had, before his departure, bestowed upon Niha&#7749g <u>Kh</u>&#257n a sword, a dagger and a shield. These relics were preserved in the family, but no shrine was raised to the Gur&#363's memory until Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bha&#7789&#7789h&#257 S&#257hib was constructed by Sant B&#257b&#257 J&#299van Si&#7749gh (1833-1938) of Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Bhor&#257 on the site of the kiln. The construction was commenced in 1910 and completed in 1923. When the Pa&#7789h&#257n family left India, following the partition of 1947, they presented the sword and the dagger at the Gurdw&#257r&#257, but the shield was taken possession of by the family who occupied their house. The sword, which, has a beautiful golden hilt and sheath, carries the inscription in Persian letters: "Sh&#257hinsh&#257h Sh&#257h M&#299r Muhammad M&#257m&#363r."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gurdw&#257r&#257 buildings upon a 3-acre walled campus include several halls and suites of rooms. The central three-storeyed domed shrine, marking the spot where the Gur&#363's horse had stood on the kiln, is usually kept closed. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated in two of the halls. There are two blocks of rooms, named Gur&#363 N&#257nak Niv&#257s and Dashmesh Niv&#257s, respectively, for pilgrims. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is administered by Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee through a local committee. Besides the daily morning and evening services, special gatherings take place on Sunday mornings and on the first of every Bikram&#299 month. An annual fair is held from 16-18 December. The Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar is open round the clock. Inside the village, the Niha&#7749gs have established a small shrine in memory of Bh&#257&#299 Bhachittar Si&#7749gh.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gurdu&#257ri&#257&#7749</i>. Amritsar, n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Guru T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Kankhal, 1975<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>