ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>P&#256O&#7750&#7788&#256 S&#256HIB (30º-25'N, 77º-35'E)</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="POFl,SHIB"> <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">&#65279P&#256O&#7750&#7788&#256 S&#256HIB (30º-25'N, 77º-35'E), a town on the right bank of the River Yamun&#257 in Sirm&#363r district of Him&#257chal Pradesh, was founded by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh in November 1685. The land was an offering from R&#257j&#257 Medin&#299 Prak&#257sh of N&#257han. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh stayed here for about three years. This was a period filled with literary creation. In the calm of P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh composed poetry of spiritual as well as of martial tenor, and the fifty-two poets and writers he kept in his employ produced a vast treasure of literature by their compositions and by the translations they had made from ancient Indian classics. It was during his stay at P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 that the battle of Bha&#7749g&#257&#7751i took place. At P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 was born Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's eldest son, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Before leaving P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 for Anandpur in 1688, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh entrusted the care of the fortified <i>havel&#299</i> and the sanctum within it to one Bh&#257&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh.The shrine,Gurdw&#257r&#257 P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 S&#257hib, was reconstructed in 1823 by B&#257b&#257 Kap&#363r Si&#7749gh with funds provided by S&#257hib Si&#7749gh Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257. In course of time, the shrine, with about 120 acres of land attached to it, came into the hands of hereditary <i>Mahants</i>, who treated it as their personal property. In 1964 a band of Niha&#7749gs forced their entry into the shrine and started a continuing recital of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. The <i>mahants</i> sought the intervention of the Him&#257chal Pradesh Government. After a protracted dispute the management of the Gurdw&#257r&#257 was entrusted, in 1970, to an eleven-member committee including ten life members and the president of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, as ex-officio chairman.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The present building complex spreads over an area of over 3 acres. The main Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sr&#299 P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 S&#257hib in the centre consists of a square domed room within a vast rectangular hall. The inner room contains old weapons among which a double-edged sword, a scimitar and a matchlock are believed to have been the Gur&#363's personal weapons once. Other shrines include Talab Asth&#257n where pay used to be disbursed; Kav&#299 Darb&#257r Asth&#257n where literary works were recited and discussed; and Dast&#257r Asth&#257n where after the battle of Bha&#7749g&#257&#7751&#299 robes of honour were given to the warriors. Some relics were bestowed also on P&#299r Buddh&#363 Sh&#257h of Sa&#7693haur&#257 for his devoted service and sacrifice during the battle. Another shrine is a memorial to Rish&#299 K&#257lp&#299 whom the Gur&#363 had brought from his hermitage in the Himalayas,, to stay awhile at P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257. From the backyard, Gobi&#7749d Gh&#257&#7789 leads down to the waters of the Yamun&#257. Administrative offices are under the portal on either flank of which is a row of rooms for pilgrims on the inner side and a line of shops facing outwards. Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar is in the western part of the compound.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Besides the daily programme of <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i> recital and <i>k&#299rtan</i>, larger assemblies take place on full moon days. An annual fair is held on Hol&#257 Mahall&#257.</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"> Narotam, T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Guru T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Kankhal, 1975<BR> <li class="C1"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<BR> <li class="C1"> Sahi, J.S., <i>Sikh Shrines in India and Abroad</i>. Faridabad, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Mehar Singh, <i>Sikh Shrines in India</i>. Delhi, 1975<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>