<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>RAJAN&#298 B&#298B&#298</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279RAJAN&#298, B&#298B&#298, was, according  to a tradition recorded by Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, the youngest of the five daughters of Dun&#299 Chand, a 16th-century Kau&#7771&#257 Khatr&#299 and a rich landlord and revenue collector of Pa&#7789&#7789&#299, an old town 44 km southwest of Amritsar. Once, during a conversation, while the four elder daughters expressed their indebtedness to their father alone for the comforts and luxury they enjoyed, Rajan&#299 differed from them saying that, though their father was no doubt kind  to them, the source of all bounty was God, the sustainer of entire existence. Dun&#299 Chand, a vainglorious man, was annoyed at the views of the child whom he rebuked for what he considered her ungratefulness. In order to teach her a lesson, he married her to Vikram Datt, a poor leper of Pa&#7789&#7789&#299 itself. Rajan&#299, unshaken in her faith in God, served her husband with devotion. Carrying her helpless husband in a basket on her head, she lived on the proceeds of her own labour and alms given by compasssionate householders. One day she happened to visit the site where Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s (1534-81) was in the process of founding a new habitation, Amritsar of modern day. Rajan&#299 sat her invalid husband under a <i>ber</i> tree (<i>Zizyphus mauritiana</i>) on the bank of a pond and went to bring food from the <i>la&#7749gar</i> or free kitchen she knew the Gur&#363 maintained. Vikram Datt, Rajan&#299's husband, while sitting alone under the tree had a vision. He saw, so goes the tradition, a crow having a dip in the pond and emerging from it with it colour turned pure white. Vikram Datt got an inspiration. He dragged himself to the water, bathed in it, and was instantly and completely cured of leprosy. Rajan&#299, on her return, could hardly believe her eyes. The couple then went and reported the miracle to Gur&#363' R&#257m D&#257s, who decided to develop the pond into a properly lined tank. He called the tank Amritsar, the Pool of Nectar, which name in due course passed on to the habitation as well. The <i>ber</i> tree near which B&#299b&#299 Rajan&#299's husband had washed his affliction away came to be known as Dukhbh&#257ñjan&#299(eradicator of woes) Ber&#299. It can still be seen in the <i>parikram&#257</i> or circumambulatory terrace around the pool in the middle of which stands today the famed Golden Temple. A <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> and a women's college at Pa&#7789&#7789&#299 are named after B&#299b&#299 Rajan&#299.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><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"> 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"> Amole, S.S., <i>Amritsar</i>. Patiala, 1975<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Gurd&#299p Si&#7749gh D&#299p<br></p><BR>
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