ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ROHT&#256S (30º-55'N, 73º-48'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="ROHTS"> <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">&#65279ROHT&#256S (30º-55'N, 73º-48'E), town in Jehlum district of Pakistan had a historical Sikh shrine, Gurdw&#257r&#257 Choh&#257 S&#257hib, commemorating the visit of Gur&#363 N&#257nak (1469-1539) during his western <i>ud&#257s&#299</i> or preaching tour. Later in 1542, Sher Sh&#257h S&#363r&#299 raised around the habitation a strong fort which he named Roht&#257s after one of his important citadels in Bihar. Roht&#257s is the name which the town now celebrates. Gurdw&#257r&#257 Choh&#257 S&#257hib on the bank of a seasonal stream, Gh&#257n, stood outside the Fort to the north of it. A legend similar to the one connected with Gurdw&#257r&#257 Pañj&#257 S&#257hib, Hasan Abd&#257l, grew up here. It is said that the nearest source of water for the people of this place during dry season was a spring controlled by <i>jog&#299s</i> at &#7788ill&#257 B&#257l Gud&#257&#299 about 14 km west of it. Gur&#363 N&#257nak, who is also said to have visited the &#7788ill&#257, caused another spring of sweet water to flow into Roht&#257s which came to be called Choh&#257 S&#257hib or Cho&#257 S&#257hib, i.e. the holy stream. A <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> was later raised here and the spring water pool was lined to form a <i>sarovar</i> or holy tank. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 Choh&#257 S&#257hib was managed by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee before it was abandoned consequent upon the partition of India in 1947.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Roht&#257s is also notable in Sikh history as the native place of M&#257t&#257 S&#257hib Dev&#257&#7749, a spouse of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, and commonly designated as the Mother of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. Roht&#257s was conquered by a combined force of Gujjar Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#299 and Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh Sukkarchakk&#299&#257 in 1767. Sh&#257h Zam&#257n, grandson of the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n invader Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, reconquered it in January 1787, but it was seized a few years later by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh under whom it remained an important military post and halting station during his northwestern campaigns.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Narotam, T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Amritsar n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> Khan Muhammad Waliullah Khan, <i>Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan</i>. Karachi, 1962<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>