ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SAR&#256I N&#256&#7748G&#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="SARI,NDG"> <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">&#65279SAR&#256I N&#256&#7748G&#256, village 16 km northeast of Muktsar (30º-29'N, 74º-31'E) in Far&#299dko&#7789 district of the Punjab, enjoys sanctity as the birthplace of Gur&#363 A&#7749gad, N&#257nak II. Gur&#363 N&#257nak himself is also believed to have visited it during his travels in these parts. Soon after Gur&#363 A&#7749gad's birth in 1504, the village, then known as Matte d&#299 Sar&#257i, was plundered and destroyed at the time of one of B&#257b&#257r's invasions, and his family had to leave it for good. A small shrine was later raised upon the ruins of the old Sar&#257i in honour of Gur&#363 A&#7749gad. It was probably looked after by <i>n&#257&#7749g&#257 s&#257dh&#363s</i> initially for which reason the habitation came to be known as N&#257&#7749ge d&#299 Sar&#257i or, officially, Sar&#257i N&#257&#7749g&#257. The village now claims two <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i>, both of historical importance.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 JANAM ASTH&#256N P&#256TSH&#256H&#298 II on a high ground to the east of the village was reconstructed through <i>k&#257r-sev&#257</i> or voluntary labour by followers of Sant Gurmukh Si&#7749gh during the 1950's. The sanctum, with the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib seated on a canopied seat of white marble, marking the old shrine, opens on a 14-metre square marble-floored hall. The terrace around the hall is also marbled, as is the exterior surface of the walls. Above the sanctum is a square pavilion with wide curved coping and topped by a pinnacled dome. The roof corners are decorated with marble kiosks. The hall corners facing the adjacent <i>sarovar</i> have large kiosks on top of semi-octagonal pilasters. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is affiliated to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, but is still managed by <i>k&#257r-sev&#257 sants</i> who have now taken up reconstruction of the second historical shrine in the village.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 PAHIL&#298 P&#256TSH&#256H&#298 commemorating the visit of Gur&#363 N&#257nak is in a high-walled compound with a domed tower at one corner on a mound within the village. The old shrine is only a small domed structure on a high plinth with an old <i>va&#7751</i> tree (<i>Quercus incana</i>) at its back. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated in a rectangular room at the entrance to the compound. The old <i>sarovar</i> is at a much lower level. The new building now planned will be a rectangular hall, 10 x14-metres, with the sanctum in the middle.</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 Gur&#363 T&#299rath Sa&#7749grahi</i>. Kankhal, 1975<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"><i>M&#257lv&#257 Desh Ra&#7789an d&#299 S&#257kh&#299 Poth&#299</i>. Amritsar, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> Gurmukh Si&#7749gh, <i>Historical Sikh Shrines</i>. Amritsar, 1995<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>