ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>WAZ&#298R&#256B&#256D (32º-26'N, 74º-7'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="WAZ*RBD"> <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">&#65279WAZ&#298R&#256B&#256D (32º-26'N, 74º-7'E), a sub-divisional town in Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 district of Pakistan is sacred to Gur&#363 Hargobind (1595-1644), who halted here briefly while returning from his visit to Kashm&#299r in 1620. Bh&#257&#299 Khem Chand, a local Sikh, placed at the Gur&#363's disposal his own house (<i>ko&#7789h&#257</i>, in Punjabi) which was subsequently turned into what came to be known as Gurdw&#257r&#257 Gur&#363 Ko&#7789h&#257 Chhev&#299&#7749 P&#257tsh&#257h&#299. According to local tradition, Bh&#257&#299 Khem Chand died during Gur&#363 Hargobind's stay here and the Gur&#363 himself performed his funeral rites. A memorial to him in the form of a tower was later raised within the premises of the Gurdw&#257r&#257. Before it was abandoned in 1947, the Gurdw&#257r&#257 was managed by Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar. Religious fairs to celebrate Basant Pañchami (in February) and D&#299v&#257l&#299 (in November) used to attract devotees in large numbers.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During the Sikh rule, Waz&#299r&#257b&#257d was the headquarters of a district administered for a time by General Avitabile, a French officer in the service of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh.</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"> &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 1923<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"> Khan Mohammad Waliullah Khan, <i>Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan</i>. Karachi, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Sahi, Joginder Singh, <i>Sikh Shrines in India and Abroad</i>. Faridabad, 1978<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>