ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SULT&#256NPUR LODH&#298 (31º-13'N, 75º-12'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="SULTNPUR,LODH*"> <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">&#65279SULT&#256NPUR LODH&#298 (31º-13'N, 75º-12'E), old town in Kap&#363rthal&#257 district of the Punjab, where Gur&#363 N&#257nak put up for several years before setting out on his travels to deliver his message. In this town lived his sister, B&#299b&#299 N&#257nak&#299, and her husband, Jai R&#257m, an official in the service of Naw&#257b Daul&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n Lodh&#299, a feudatory chief, who became governor of the Province of Lahore during the first quarter of the sixteenth century. At the instance of Jai R&#257m, Gur&#363 N&#257nak took up employment in the Naw&#257b's provision stores. During that time there grew up a <i>sa&#7749gat</i>, holy fellowship of disciples, which so prospered that Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s in his <i>Var&#257&#7749</i> (XI.21), called Sult&#257npur the "treasure of God's adoration." Sult&#257npur Lodh&#299 has several <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> commemorating events connected with the life of Gur&#363 N&#257nak.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 BER S&#256HIB, the principal shrine at Sult&#257npur, is situated on the bank of the rivulet K&#257l&#299 Be&#299&#7749, half a kilometre to the west of the old town. Gur&#363 N&#257nak performed his morning ablutions in the Be&#299&#7749 and then sat under a <i>ber (Zizyphus jujuba) </i> tree to meditate. It was during one such ablution that Gur&#363 N&#257nak had what is described in the Janam S&#257kh&#299s as a direct communion with the Divine. As the Janam S&#257kh&#299s narrate the details, Gur&#363 N&#257nak one morning disappeared into the stream and was not seen for two days. When he reappeared at a spot, 2 km upstream, now known as Sant Gh&#257&#7789, the first words he uttered were, "There is no Hindu, there is no Musalm&#257n." Gur&#363 N&#257nak was now ready to embark on his long journeys. Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ber S&#257hib is built by the side of an old <i>ber</i> tree which is believed to be the one under which Gur&#363 N&#257nak used to sit in meditation. The present building of Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ber S&#257hib was raised by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Jagatj&#299t Si&#7749gh of Kap&#363rthal&#257. The cornerstone was laid by Bh&#257&#299 Arjan Si&#7749gh of B&#257ga&#7771&#299&#257&#7749 on 25 February 1937, and the Gurdw&#257r&#257 was on completion dedicated by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 on 26 January 1941. Standing on high plinth and entered through a portico, supported by octagonal columns, and a small entrance gallery is the high-ceilinged, marble-floored hall. At the far end, marked off by a high archway decorated with floral designs in stucco, is the sanctum sanctorum, where the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated on a white-marble <i>p&#257lak&#299</i> or canopied throne. Besides the daily services and observance of important Sikh anniversaries, a largely-attended fair takes place in November to mark the birth anniversary of Gur&#363 N&#257nak.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 HA&#7788&#7788 S&#256HIB, south of the old fortress-like ser&#257i, marks the spot where Gur&#363 N&#257nak worked as the custodian of Naw&#257b Daul&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n's provision stores. The building comprises a hall, with a square sanctum in its middle. Above the sanctum is a square room with wide arched coping and a lotus dome topped by a gold-plated finial. Thirteen polished stones of different sizes, believed to be the weights used by Gur&#363 N&#257nak, are on display in a glass cabinet.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 ANTARY&#256TM&#256 S&#256HIB, a flat-roofed rectangular room marks the site of a mosque to which Naw&#257b Daulat <u>Kh</u>&#257n had invited Gur&#363 N&#257nak to participate in <i>nam&#257z</i> or Muslim prayer. Divining how the Naw&#257b and the K&#257d&#299 were only outwardly going through the ritual with their minds engrossed in mundane thoughts, Gur&#363 N&#257nak stood aside. When the Naw&#257b asked him why he did not join the prayer, he told them exactly what he and the K&#257d&#299 had been thinking of as they prayed. Both, as say the Janam S&#257kh&#299s, fell at the Gur&#363's feet.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nothing remains of the mosque now except the entrance gate to the compound.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 GUR&#362 K&#256 B&#256<u>GH</u>, a flat-roofed hall in the interior of the town marks the premises where Gur&#363 N&#257nak resided with his wife and children during his stay at Sult&#257npur. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated in the hall on a rectangular platform. A narrow well, now covered, is a relic of the days of yore.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KO&#7788HA&#7770&#298 S&#256HIB, a narrow low-roofed cell in a small house in Mohall&#257 Va&#7693&#7693i&#257&#7749, is where Gur&#363 N&#257nak was detained while his accounts were being checked following a false complaint lodged by his detractors. In one of the two small rooms close by is seated the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 SANT GH&#256&#7770, on the bank of the Be&#299&#7749, is where Gur&#363 N&#257nak re-emerged on the third day of his disappearance into the river near the site of Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ber S&#257hib.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 BEBE N&#256NAK&#298 J&#298, constructed in 1970's, honours the memory of Bebe N&#257nak&#299, elder sister of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. The actual house, a three-storeyed old building where Bebe N&#257nak&#299 is believed to have lived with her husband, Jai R&#257m, is inside the old town in Mohall&#257 Chh&#299mbi&#257&#7749. But the premises being in private possession, a public monument (cornerstone, laid on 13 November 1970) was raised in the form of a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> by Bebe N&#257nak&#299 Istr&#299 Satsa&#7749g Charitable Trust under the chairmanship of B&#299b&#299 Balvant Kaur of Birmingham (United Kingdom). The Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bebe N&#257nak&#299 J&#299 comprises a central hall, with the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib seated in a white-marble <i>p&#257lak&#299</i> at the far end. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is also seated in a small side-room symbolizing Bebe N&#257nak&#299's own lodging. Over the sanctum, above the hall roof, is a square domed room with arched copings. Bulbous domes adorn the corners of the hall roof.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GURDW&#256R&#256 SEHR&#256 S&#256HIB is dedicated to Gur&#363 Arjan who passed through Sult&#257npur in 1604 on his way to &#7692all&#257 for the marriage of his son (Gur&#363) Hargobind. According to tradition, the marriage party stayed overnight at this place and the <i>sehr&#257</i>, or ceremonial wreath was fastened round the bridegroom's head here. The Gurdw&#257r&#257, within a brickpaved walled compound, is an octagonal domed room in which the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated. All these shrines at Sult&#257npur Lodh&#299 with the exception of Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bebe N&#257nak&#299 J&#299, which is under die management of the Trust, are administered by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Prabandhak Committee through a local committee.</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>. Kankhal, 1975<BR> <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"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Nanak and Origins of the Sikh Faith</i>. Bombay, 1969<BR> <li class="C1"> Kohli, Surindar Singh, <i>Travels of Gur&#363 N&#257nak</i>. Chandigarh, 1969<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>