ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SR&#298 GOBINDPUR</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="SR*,GOBINDPUR"> <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">&#65279SR&#298 GOBINDPUR, or SR&#298 HARGOBINDPUR (30º-41'N, 75º-29'E), a small town in Gurd&#257spur district of the Punjab, located on the bank of the River Be&#257s, was originally a ruined mound of a village called Ruhel&#257, which formed part of the estates of Chand&#363 Sh&#257h, <i>d&#299w&#257n</i> of the Mu<u>gh</u>al times. Gur&#363 Hargobind came here from Kart&#257rpur during the rainy season probably of 1629 and, pleased at the attractive view the site commanded, he rehabilitated it and named it Sr&#299 Gobindpur. But because of his own association with it, the place came to be known as Sr&#299 Hargobindpur, a name still commonly used. According to another version, the village was established on the ruins of Ruhel&#257 by Gur&#363 Arjan Dev in 1587 and named Sr&#299 Gobindpur, but it was appropriated by Bhagv&#257n D&#257s Ghera&#7771 helped by Chand&#363's machination. Gur&#363 Hargobind recovered it after four decades. Bhagv&#257n D&#257s, a rich Khatr&#299 of Ghera&#7771 clan, challenged Gur&#363 Hargobind and asked him to vacate the site. In the skirmish that occurred, Bhagv&#257n D&#257s was killed. His son, Ratan Chand, with the help of Chand&#363's son, Karam Chand, sought the assistance of the <i>faujd&#257r</i> of Jalandhar, who sent with them an armed body of troops to expel the Gur&#363. The attack launched by this force, however, aborted and both Ratan Chand and Karam Chand were killed. Two shrines commemorate Gur&#363 Hargobind's stay at Ruhel&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GUR&#362 K&#298 HAVEL&#298, formerly called Gur&#363 ke Mahal, is now an extensive ruined compound in the centre of the town. It is the private property of a branch of the So&#7693h&#299 family of Kart&#257rpur. The Nihangs have lately established a single roomed Gurdw&#257r&#257 here, and the former owners have taken the matter to the court.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GUR&#362 K&#298 MAS&#298T, or the Gur&#363's mosque, is in the eastern part of the town overlooking the riverbed. Sikh chronicles record that Gur&#363 Hargobind had a mosque as well as a <i>dharams&#257l&#257</i> built for use by Muslim and Hindu settlers in the town. The Niha&#7749gs have now established a Gurdw&#257r&#257 in the mosque which had remained deserted since the partition of the country in 1947.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>Gurbil&#257s Chhev&#299&#7749 P&#257tsh&#257h&#299</i>. Patiala, 1970<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"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gurdu&#257r&#299&#257&#7749</i>. Amritsar, n.d.<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"> K&#257hn Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Gurushabad Ratan&#257kar Mah&#257n Kosh</i> [Reprint]. Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257,1981<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>