ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>PAÑJ&#256 S&#256HIB GURDW&#256R&#256</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="PAÑJ,SHIB,GURDWR"> <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">&#65279PAÑJ&#256 S&#256HIB, GURDW&#256R&#256, at Hasan Abd&#257l (33º -48'N, 72º -44'E) in Attock (or Campbellpore) district of Pakistan Punjab, is sacred to Gur&#363 N&#257nak, who briefly stopped here on his way back to the Punjab from his western <i>ud&#257s&#299</i> or journey which took him as far West as Mecca and Ba<u>gh</u>d&#257d. According to tradition popularized by Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 N&#257nak Prak&#257sh</i>, Gur&#363 N&#257nak and his Muslim companion of long travels, Mard&#257n&#257, halted at the foot of a hill. On the top of the hill lived a Muslim recluse known in those parts as Wal&#299 Kandh&#257r&#299. Feeling fatigued and thirsty and seeing no water in the vicinity, Mard&#257n&#257 climbed up to the Wal&#299's hut and begged him for water to quench his thirst. Questioned as to who he was and what had brought him to that place, Mard&#257n&#257 said that he was professionally a musician and had come in the train of a great saint, B&#257b&#257 N&#257nak. Wal&#299 Kandh&#257r&#299 refused to give him water and quipped instead that if his master was so accomplished a saint, he should not let his follower go thirsty. Mard&#257n&#257 walked back disappointed and told the Gur&#363 what the Wal&#299 had said. Gur&#363 N&#257nak asked Mard&#257n&#257 to go once again and supplicate the Wal&#299 with humility. Mard&#257n&#257 obeyed, but returned only to report the failure of his mission. Gur&#363 N&#257nak there upon touched the hillside with the tip of the stick he was holding. Instantly, water spouted forth from that point and Mard&#257n&#257 drank his fill. But simultaneously Wal&#299 Kandh&#257r&#299's reservoir on top of the hill began to ebb and soon dried up. The Wal&#299, blind with rage, rolled down a big boulder towards the travellers. Gur&#363 N&#257nak gently raised his arm and the rocky mass, as goes the tradition, stopped in its downward career as it came in touch with his palm, (<i>pañj&#257</i>, in Punjabi). The impression of his palm was left on the stone which is still shown the visitors to the place, now famous as Pañj&#257 S&#257hib, the Holy Palm.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> was built at the site during the reign of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh to which he made a handsome land endowment and which he visited more than once during his lifetime. Gurdw&#257r&#257 Pañj&#257 S&#257hib, as it came to be called, was administered by a line of <i>mahants</i> until Jathed&#257r Kart&#257r Si&#7749gh Jhabbar, at the head of a 25-strong <i>jath&#257</i> or band of Ak&#257l&#299 reformers, occupied it on behalf of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee on 17-18 November 1920. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 gained further prominence during 1922 when the local <i>sa&#7749gat</i> led by Bh&#257&#299 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh, treasurer of Sr&#299 Pañj&#257 S&#257hib Gurdw&#257r&#257 Managing Committee, sought to halt a train carrying prisoners of the Gur&#363 k&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u> agitation to Attock jail in order to serve meals to them. As the railway authorities refused to make an unscheduled wayside halt, several Sikhs, with Bh&#257&#299 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh and Karam Si&#7749gh (a pilgrim from Anandpur S&#257hib) at their head, squatted on the railway track. The train, finding its warning whistles ineffective, screeched to a halt but not before crushing Bh&#257&#299 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh and Karam Si&#7749gh to death and wounding five others. This tragedy which took place on 30 October 1922 attracted streams of pilgrims, and funds began collecting for raising a larger building. Construction of the new <i>sarovar</i> or sacred pool began on 14 October 1932 with ceremonies presided over by &#7788ikk&#257 (later Mah&#257r&#257j&#257) Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh of the princely state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, which event is commemorated in a slab-inscription. On the same day, the cornerstone of the new building of Sr&#299 Harimandar S&#257hib in the middle of the <i>sarovar</i> was laid by Pañj Pi&#257re, the Five Elect, Bh&#257&#299 Ra&#7751dh&#299r Si&#7749gh, B&#257b&#257 Vas&#257kh&#257 Si&#7749gh, B&#257b&#257 Nidh&#257n Si&#7749gh, Professor Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh and Sant Budh Si&#7749gh. Besides the daily services, largely attended religious assemblies were held in October to commemorate the martyrs of the 1922 tragedy and in April to celebrate Bais&#257kh&#299 until the place had to be abandoned at the time of mass migrations caused by Partition in 1947. However, Gurdw&#257r&#257 Pañj&#257 S&#257hib is one the few Sikh shrines in Pakistan which pilgrims from India may still visit in groups on special occasions with the prior permission of the Government of Pakistan.</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> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-35<BR> <li class="C1"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<BR> <li class="C1"> Narotam, T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Kankhal,1975<BR> <li class="C1"> Mehar Singh, <i>Sikh Shrines in India</i>. Delhi, 1975<BR> <li class="C1"> Khan Mohammad Waliullah Khan, <i>Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan</i>. Karachi, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Sahi, J.S., <i>Sikh Shrines in India and Abroad</i>. Faridabad, 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>