Interesting Fact About Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar

Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar has always being a very spiritual place not only for the Sikhs, but also for the various communities of the globe. Today we not only find visitors across the globe coming at this place just to see a gold studded monument but to gain the spiritual knowledge read here day and night in the form of kirtan. This place is being the place where a community of humans known as SIKHS welcome people of all commuities, irrespective of caste, creed, tribe, color, financial strength or any indifferences to share the spiritual knowldge and general brotherhood with each other. Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar undoubtedly can be called as The Supreme University of Humanity, and why not... The supreme reference of  knowledge here is SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI. Here there is teachings for all. Weather it be king or a common man, rich or poor, husband, wife and all the personal human relation, Hindu or Muslim or Sikh or any other, Guru Granth Sahib explains all.

Normally when we talk about Harmandar Sahib, few things come to our mind
1. The very first thing what clicks out mind is the gold studded on the structure of the monument. Few people call it golden temple, which means the temple of gold, but it is Harmandar which means temple (mandar) of Har(i) i.e, almighty.
2. It is a Historical Place related Sikh Gurus (but by calling this place as golden temple are we not disrespecting it!!!)
3. It has doors on all 4 sides. Indicating that it is open for all.
4. It has langar served  all day.
5. It is quite big, peacefull, calm and a lot more things to add upon

But there is lot more for us at Sri Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab. There is history of many Sikhs which we have forgotten and remembered a few. Where there is history of Sikhs, the color is RED i.e, there is blood of sikhs. We all know that Harmandar Sahib (not Amritsar as a whole, specifically Harmandar Sahib) has always being on the radar of attack right from the times of the Mugals and Afgan invasions.as Sikhs have always given a tough escape to the pirates and safeguarded the needy and the victims irrespective of the differences in belief (hindus or muslims). The attackers not being able to win Sikhs started eyeing the spiritual place to attack and destroy as revenge.Countless Sikhs have shed-ed their blood in the construction, formation and defending the place.
A community few centuries old, living as a minority (less than 2%) in the nation it was nurtured in, gave blood for proving its identity, gave lives for safeguarding others from the unjust, gave lives in both World War 1&2 and not the least, but it also gave majority of lives during the freedom struggle in India, every war India fought had a huge contribution of the Sikh soldiers laying their lives, the 3 genocides, 2 during Mugal rule and 1 of 1984 where only Sikhs were massacred and many other events where a Sikh has sacrificed his life for the face of humanity. It is said that Jewish people have faced a lot of hardships and loss of life for a period of time, but Sikhs have not done less. I am not sure, but with due respect by the hardships face by the Jewish Community or any other community, the Sikhs might have exceeded the number long back.

Interesting facts about Harmandar Sahib:
1. In the Parikrama of the Gurudwara there is Baba Deep Singhji  asthan, where Baba Deep Singhji laid his head, after the head being separated during the war which took place with the Mugals after they destroyed the structure of Harmandar Sahib.
2. Baba Gurbaksh Singhji Samaad which at the old entrance of Harmandar Sahib i.e, behind Akaal Takht Sahib. (the entrance of Gurudwara is said to be change at the time of british.). We have posted a blog on Baba Gurbaksh Singh earlier
3. Samarak Shaheed Ganj next to Manji Sahib Diwaan Hall.

We can find this all in the photo of Harmandar Sahib posted in this blog earlier pasted from sikhiwiki.com
In the next post we will try to cover the old entrance of Harmandar Sahib & Ramgarhia Boonga in the premises of Harmandar Sahib.

Unjustified WAR :: 30 Sikhs Vs 30,000 army : : Bhai Gurbaksh Singhji SHAHEED

Gurbaksh Singh (1688-1764), also known as Gurbaksh Singh Nihang or Shaheed, hailed from the village of Lil, in Amritsar District. According to an old manuscript which was preserved in the Sikh reference library, Amritsar, until it perished in the Government of India's Army action in 1984, and which is quoted by Singh Sahib Giani Kirpal Singh, he was born on Baisakh Vadi 5, 1745 Bk i.e. 10th April 1688 (father Dasaundha Singh, Mother Mai Lachchami). In 1698, the family shifted to Anandpur where Gurbakshash Singh took pahul of the Khalsa on the historic Baisakhi day of 1699. He completed his religious education under Bhai Mani Singh. He later joined the Shaheed Misl under Baba Deep Singhji. After the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singhji in 1757 at Amritsar, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was appointed as jathedar of Shaheed Misl.

In November 1764, Ahmad Shah Abdali at the head of 30,000 Afghanis invaded India for 7th time, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh happened to be stationed at holy Shrine at Amritsar. The Durrani (abdali) advanced up to the town virtually unopposed and entered the partially reconstructed Harimandir, which he had demolished two years earlier. Bhai Gurbaksh Singh who had ordered women, children, and the aged, to leave the premises of Harmandar Sahib had with him only thirty men. Ahmad Shah Abdali knew that there were only 30 Sikhs in the premises and they would not stand his army of 30,000.

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He arrogantly asked Bhai Gurbaksh Singh and his jatha to ‘come out with hands up’

Baba Gurbaksh Singh replied ‘Sikhs have not learned to give up and surrender with the hands up’

Abdali ’30 sikhs Vs 30,000 army cannot survive. All of you shall Die’

Baba Gurbaksh Singhji ‘I know, We have learnt that mercilessly. We accept to die rather giving up, but I have a request. I know you have an armyof 30000 with ammunitions. We shall not survive. I request you, whenever you shoot us, shoot us in our chest. Please don’t shoot us trough our back’

Abdali Surprisingly ‘Why???’

Bhai Gurbaksh Singhji ‘Shoot us at our chest so that no one says, looking at the army of 30000, any Sikh out of the 30 was afraid and was trying to run , so got shot at the back.’

Listening this, Abdali got furious and order the army to attack the Sikhs.

This was an unequal fight - thirty pitted against thirty thousand. All thirty Sikhs were killed before Gurbaksh Singh, though throughout in the forefront, also fell. Giving an eyewitness account of the action, Qazi Nur Muhammad, a writer who was in the army of the invader, writes in his Jung Nama in arrogance“ when the king and his army reached the chakk(Amritsar), they did not see any infidel kafir there. But a few men stayed in a fortress were bent upon spilling their blood and they sacrificed themselves for their Guru.. They were only thirty in number. They did not have the least fear of death. They engaged the Ghazis (i.e. in Islamic terminology, a Ghazi is a muslim person who had killed an Infidel or a kafir) and spilled their blood in the process. Thus all of them were slaughtered and consigned to the seventh [hell]”.

This happened on 1 December 1764. Bhai Gurbaksh singh was Shaheed. In the earlier picture, there is Baba Gurbaksh Singh written at the lower end , below Akaal Takht, that was the place he was cremated. We should visit Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar, knowing the fact, each and every inch there has a stories written with blood of SIKHS. Understanding the history and Passing on to next generation is our responsibility.

Note: Ahmad Shah Durani 'Abdali' was a 'goon' who looted India trough wealth and Indian women. He used to pass through land of Punjab, where only Sikhs were able to fight his cruel and huge force and go back by the same route with the wealth and Indian Women. The Sikhs took the  UN CONSTITUTED to get back the looted wealth and to release the India Women and hand them over to their families SAFELY. He attempted to invade India 11 times for LOOTING INDIA, but last few attempts could not go beyond Lahore as he started to be frightened of Sikhs Bravery.

Note 2 : The Sikhs had not personal conflict with the invaders of India nor the Mougal Empire. They could easily ignore the cruelity of the invadors and the Mougal Empire. 
A Sikh is taught to live a life in a society of love and harmony irrespective of religion, cast or creed, and if anyone who tries to disturb this harmony was questioned and fought against it. The classic of harmony in history is, 'Pir Budhu Shah sacrificed his army and his 2 sons out of the four with the army of Guru Gobind Singhji.' Pir Budhu Shah was an Islamic preacher 'PIR' who had Love for Guru Darbar, Sikhs and justice. He opposed the INHUMAN rule of the Mougals.

Architectural View : : Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar

So Dar Path - Difference in various baanis

Waheguruji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguruji ki Fateh!!

This blog is an attempt to connect all Sikhs to do all or any kind of sewa, As we are placed in Pune, Maharashtra (India). we shall start to start the same on our pilot project here.
The activities we shall have here:

• Support and upliftment of the under privileged segment of the society.

This sewa needs more ground level workers than funds. We are basically targeting at the education of the children living in the slums. Currently we have more than 220 children studying under this program. Any person willing to do sewa under this segment are welcome.

• Residential accommodation and placement support

Pune has being recognized as the 'Oxford of East' and has developed one of the leading IT and commercial hub. We understand the need of connectivity for our brothers and sisters coming here for their carriers and education. We shall make a attempt to get you equipped with residential accommodation, job assistance, education counselling and any other thing possible. We might not be masters of all of the above mentioned segments, but we shall try to connect you to the appropriate person or company.

• Gurmat, Kirtan, Gurbani & Gatka.

We request all Sikhs to come together to learn Nitnem, Kirtan, Gurbani & Gatka. Let us understand what guru says 'Gur-mat' . Let us come together and share what we have and indulge in the essence of Gurbani. Pune sangat have Gatka classes every Sunday.

• Sikhi Prachaar

Pune Sangat organises various programes like "Sikh Film Festival", 'Gurbani Kanth Competitions' Gurmat Camps and various such events. We request all of to be a part of these events either by participating or by being an audience.

Sewadar of Sikh Sangat.