Lions Club, Rajpura.-- The
Lions Club, Rajpura was established in 1978. It arranged 11 eye operation camps
upto 31 March 1987 and performed 2,500 operations. Free medicines and
spectacles are given to the people after operation. The club distributed 50
wheel chairs, 200 hearing aids and artificial limbs (clippers) to 800 persons.
It provides help to the flood effected people and donates funds to the needy
persons. Besides, it distributes stationery, books, uniforms, etc. to the poor
students every year. Financial aid is also given to the poor and needy
students. It is running a sewing school for women at Rajpura. Two members of
this club are life members of the District Red Cross Society. The Lioness Club
(ladies wing of the club) is also functioning at Rajpura.
Lions Club, Sirhind.-- It was
formed during the year 1982-83. The club organizes free operations camps,
immunization of children against polio, free vaccination camps and provides
books to poor students.
Lions Club, Bassi Pathana.--
The Lions Club, Bassi Pathana was established in 1980. It renders useful
service for the welfare of the window. It also arranges free eye camps. There
is also a Leo Club (students wing of the club) which was formed during the year
1987-88.
Lions Club, Nabha.-- The Lions
Club, Nabha was formed in 1975 and has 28 members on its rolls. It is the
oldest club amongst all the Lions clubs of the Patiaola District. The main
activities of the club include holding of eye operations camps and blood
donation camps from time to time.
Lions Club, Samana.-- It was
constituted in 1981 and has 24 members. It organizes medical camps, grants
scholarships to the poor and brilliant students. The Leo Club, Samana (students
wing of the club) was formed in 1987 and has 20 members on its rolls.
Lioness Club, Bassi Pathana.--Besides,
there is one Lioness Club, at Bassi Pathana, which was established in 1987.
Rotary
Clubs
The Rotary Club is a world-wide
organization with its headquaters in the United States of America. Its motto is
'Service Above Self'. It is a type of international brotherhood to serve to
hymanity as a whole in all walks of life. There are Rotary Clubs at Patiala. Rajpura,
Samana, Sirhind and Nabha, the activities of each are described below:
Rotary Club, Patiala.-- Two
branches of Rotary Club are functioning at Patiala proper, i.e. Rotary Club
Patiala and Rotary Club, Model Town Patiala established in 1977 and 1981-82,
respectively. These branches organize free eye operation camps and provide
scholarships to the poor and needy students, studying in different educational
institutions.
Rotary Club, Rajpura.--
The Rotary Club, Rajpura was established in 1967. The main activities of this
club are : to arrange ee eye camps and provide scholarship to the poor students
of various educational institutions. It also helps the flood effected and riot
effected persons.
Rotary Club, Sirhind.-- The
Rotary Club, Sirhind was formed on 23 March 1980. It organises eye operation
camps and blood donation camps. Uptill now it has organized 7 eye operation
camps, where 2,000 eye operations were performed. The club also organised 10
blood donation camps and collected 1,000 units of blood. It celebrated 2
marriages of poor girls, one at Dera Bassi and the other at Delo Majra. It is
also running a sewing school at Bassi. Besides, it promotes scholarships to
poor students.
Rotary Club, Nabha.-- The
Rotary Club, Nabha was established in 1950. It has 36 members on its rolls.
Jaycee
Club
Jaycee is
the largest international youth organization of its kind in the world. It aims
at giving leadership training to young
men and women between the age group of 18 to 40. The goals and ideals of the
Jaycees are, to develop the individual abilities and stimulate the joint
efforts of young persons for the purpose of improving the spiritual, economic,
social well-being of mankind by development of awareness and acceptance of the
responsibilities of citizenship, individual particcipation in international
training programme to develop leadership potential; active participation in
planning and executing programmes for the development of the individual and the
community, and furtherance of understanding, goodwill and cooperation among all
people. The only club functioning at Nabha in the district is described below :
Jayee Club, Nabha.--It
was set up during the year 1981 and has 38 members on its rolls. It arranges
free eye operation camps and blood donation camps. It also provides financial
assistance to the poor and needy persons.
Inner Wheel Club, Patiala.--
This club came into existence during the year 1982. The activities of the club
in the district are to arrange blood donation camps, eye operation camps, medical
check-up camps and distribution of free medicine to poor patients. The other
branches of the club are functioning at Samana, Sirhind and Rajpura.
Place of interest
Patiala is one of the most historical
districts of Punjab. Its towns Saman, Sirhind and Banur were important seats of
government during medieval period. Patiala and Nabha were the hedadquaters
of Phulkian rulers of Patiala and Nabha
States. The most historical gurudwara in the district is Gurudwara
Fatehgarh Sahib which commemorates the sacred memory of Huru Gobind Singh's
younger sons, who were martyred here by Wazir Khan, the then Governor of
Sirhind. Besides places of historical and religious importance, there are
places of tourist attraction in the district like Chatt Bir Zoo. Aam Khas Bagh
and Floarting Restaurant of Sirhind. The tahsil-wise, description of various
places of interest in the districrt having historical and religious
signifficance or tourist attraction has been given below :
Patiala
Headquaters of the divisions, district
and tahsil of the same name, Patiala is situated towards south of GT Road at a
distance of about 26 km from Rajpura. It was founded by Baba Ala Singh, he
founder of Phulkian State of Patiala. Previously, it was a small village of
Sanaur pargana under Khokhar Zamindars. After acquisition of Sanaur and
its 84 villages. Raja Ala Singh selected this site for making a stronghold in
order to have a firm control ovedr the newly acquired territory. Consequently,
a kachchi garhi
(stronghold), a little to the eastt of Quila Mubarak was erected in 1753.
Thereafter, the foundation of Qila Mubarak was laid down by Baba Ala Singh, on
12 February 1764, which was later on completed by Maharaha Karam Singh. The
city was originally known as 'Pati Ala' (area under Ala Singh), which later on
came to be known as Patiala.
After the fall of Sinhind in 1763,
its inhabitants migrated in large number to Patiala, where they were known as
Sinhindis. Moreover, being the capital of Patiala State, it increased in size,
prosperity and population. The main shopping centre of the city became
developed around the fort.
Towards the beginning of the 19th
Century, nine gates were constructed along the wall around the city. The wall
was demolished in 1862. Thereafter, inhabitants of the city started dwelling in
new colonies outside the walled city. among the nine gates of the city the
Shereanwala Gate had special significance since it served as a gateway to the
civil secretariat during the erstwhile Patiala State and PEPSU (now secretariat
of the PSEB), head office of the State Bank of Patiala, Baradari Garden, Sheesh
Mahal, Moti Mahal and other offices. The other gates are the Darshani Gate,
Sirhindi Gate, Samana Gate, Nabha Gate, Sanauri Gate and Saifabadi Gate. The
Lahori Gate waa demolished decades ago. Five of these gates are in a
dilapidated condition. The historic Sheranwal Gate also crumbled on 23 August
1988. These gates mostly opened on roads leading to other important towns.
Patiala is a city of gardens, places
and magnificent buildings. The spacious Baradari Garden having twelve gates is
an important place of attraction. Just opposite the Kali Devi temple, there is
an enclosure inside the main garden called Rock Garden. The Mall Road in the
city is a good specimen of concrete woek. There has been rapid growthof this
city after the Independence in 1947 and a number of new colonies like the Model
Town, Ajit Nagar, Sant Nagar, Yadvindra Colony etc. have come up.
The Baradari Palace, the Rajindra
Gymkhana, the Mahendra Maharani Club and Circuit House are important buildings
of the princely days. Moti Bagh Palace is another grand building of princely
state which now houses the National
Institute of Sports. However ,. the magnmificent buildings which have
been built after Independence are the new Rajindra Hospital, the Government
Medical College, the Government College for Women, the State College of
Education, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, and the Central
Public Library.
Patiala City is well-known for its
work of gota, kanari, zari and sitara for the manufacture of silk, azar bands,
(waist-cords) and parandas (hair typing-cords). The city is also
developing in industry and an industrial estate has been developed across the
railways station. Moreover, the city is an important educational centre.
Mohindra College, Patiala has been a very important educational institute right
through the princely times. Started in 1875, it was the first degree college in
the whole area of present day Punjab. It was affiliated to Calcutta University,
as Punjab University came into being five years later. Thereafter, a very large
number of educational instituters including Punjabi Univesity have been set up
in the city. Patiala is perhaps the only city where almost all professional,
technical, art and science colleges are located. The establishment of Punjabi
University has grown up considerably and it is running full fledged departments
with modern facilities for imparting training in research, and literary
activities. With the formation of PEPSU in 1948, Patiala became its capital.
However, after its merger with Punjab in 1956, it became headquarters of
Patiala District. The population of city according to 1981 Census was 2,06,254.
The headquaters of the Punjab State Electricity Board and the State Bank of
Patiala are also located on the Mall in Patiala. There is also a Civil Aviation
Club which is situated on Patiala-Sangrur road. There is a well-known stadium
known as Yadvindra Stadium which was built by Maharaja Yadvindra Singh. It is occupied
by Yadvindra Public School which is one of the best educatgional institutions
of Punjab. Adjoining the old Moti Bagh Palace, there is a Deer Park which
contains a large variety of birds and deer. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi set in
the midst of the Rajindra Tank and the
statue of S. Sewa Singh Thikriwala at Fawara Chowk remind the people about the
great sacrifices for the cause of freedom by the national leaders.
A brief description of important
places of the city is given below :
Qila
Mubarak.-- The foundation of Qila Mubarak was laid down by
Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the Patiala State, on 12 Februrary 1764.
However, its construction was completed by his grandson, Maharaja Karam Singh.
It is the symbol of many historical facts and it. The throne of Baba Ali Singh
in this fort is a historical monument.
The Qila Mubarak was the official
residence of the rulers of the Patiala State upto the middle of 19th century.
In the inner portion of the fort are the palace, where the rulers and members
of their families lived. The Darbar Hall in the fort is a unique and majestic
structure. It was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh in 1859. It has now a roof
built with tin sheets having underneath a false ceiling artistically decorated.
In this Hall, the rulers held darbar on festival occasion when both military and civil officers presented
Nahars in their traditional way. It now houses arms and armours. Some
note-worthy arms exhibited here are the sword of Nadir Shah known as 'Shikar
Gah' depicting hunting scenes. The sword of Shah Abbas of Persia has the
owner's name with his seal carved on
it. A dagger of Guru Gobind Singh with jade jandle has also been preserved in
the Museum.
The murals in residential palaces of
Qila are peerless works of art. They are the works of great artists belonging
to Kangra and Rajasthan schools of art. They depict the themes of Ramayana,
Mahabharata Shrimad Bhagwat Geet, Baramasas as well as the paintings of Ragas
and Raginis. They are greatly appreciated by all connoisseurs of art. The
legends of Laila Majnu, Sassi Punnu, Sohni Mahiwal, etc. are also painted in
one of the bed chambers.
Moti Bagh Palace.--Sheesh Mahal in
old Moti Bagh, Patiala was designed on the pattern of Shalimar garden of Lahore
with terraces, fountains, channels and flower beds. It was built by Maharaja
Narinder Singh in 1847 at a cost of Rs 5 lakhs. The Sheesh Mahal Museum at
Patiala has great importance in the field of painting, sculptures, medals and
decorative are objects.
Majaraja Narinder Singh was a patron
of literature, music and fine arts. There were many poets, scholars and
historians in his court. He employed many artists, who hailed from Kangra and
Rajasthan and they expressed their talents on the walls of Sheesh Mahal by
depicting vision in the potery of Keshav Das, Surdas and Behari Lal in line and
colour. Mythology, Legends Raga-Ragini, Nayak-Nayiaka and Bara-masa themes are
also depicted on its walls. A special room known as Sheesh Mahal was got
constructed by the Maharaja displaying the skills of artists in convex and
coloured mirrors. Some designs remind of the floral designs of Jahangir's
period.
Maharaja Narinder Singh shifted his
residence to this place. In 1897, Maharaja Rajindera Singh constructed a Jhoola
(hanging bridge) over the lake in the
palace. There was also an exhibition hall meant for displaying various
commodities by the traders for selection by Ranis of the palace.
The Medal Gallery set up in the
Sheesh Mahal, Patiala has one of the largest collections of the medals and
decorations. It is perhaps unmatched in the world in its richness and variety.
In this ccollection, there are at present, more than 3,200 Orders, Medals and
Decorations. All these were the collections of Maharaja Bhupindera Singh
(1900-1938) whose hobby was to collect such decorations from all over the
world. His priceless treature to the Punjab Museum.
A part of the old Moti Bagh Palace is
occupied by the National Institute of Sports.
Kali Devi Temple.-- It is an
important place of worship in the city. The temple is located just on the Mall
Road adjoining the State Bank of Patiala. There is a great rush of devotees on
Ashtami every month, when a big fair is held here. It is visited by a large
number of people of Patiala city and surrounding areas. Some snskrit manuscript
leaves (patras) supposed to have been preserved in this temple. Maharaja
Narinder Singh brought these leaves from Badri Narain Temple in Uttar Pradesh
where he went on pilgrimage.
People visit this temple in large
numbers on every Tuesday and Saturadya. Fairs are held here during the months
of April and October every year. People have to stand for hours in long queues
to have a darshan of the Goddess. This temple is a unique example of
secularism. A large number of hindus and Sikhs from surrounding villages visit
this sacred placed.
Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran.-- It is an
historic gurudwara which commemorates the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who
stayed here for some time during one of his missionary tours. It is situated
near the Patiala railway station. It is stated that when the Guru was on his
way to Delhi to offer the supreme scrifice, he stayed at the site of the
present gurudwara which was then in Lehal village. This village was in the grip
of some epidemic which was claiming a heavy toll of life. The Guru took out
some water from a small pond (where the tank of gurudwara now stands) and
sprinkled it towards the village with his blessing. It is siad that the pople
of the village got rid of the epidemic. It is believed that a bath in the holy
tank has the healing effect. Hence the gurudwara has been named as Dukh Nivaran
(reliever of sufferings). There is also a hukamnama (order) of Guru Tegh
Bahadur which has been kept in a glass paned cabin underneath a tree.
This Gurudwara is managed by the Shiromani
Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee. A large number of devotees visit this holy
shrine every day. A large sum of money has been spent by Shiromani Gurudwara
Prabhandhak Committee to expand and beautify this holy shrine so as to give a
majectic outlook.
Mazar Pir Baba Rode Shah.-- This
mazar is situated on the Mall adjacent to Malwa Cinema. A fair is held here on
every Thursday. Both Hindus and Sikhs of the surrounding villages come in large
numbers to pay their homage to the Pir. On this day there is always a great
rush of devotees from morning to evening. It is believed that with the
blessings of the Pir wishes of the devotees are fulfilled. At this sacred
place, a big fair is also held for three days from 25 to 27 June every year,
which attracts a large number of people from far and near Renowned poets are
inited and kwalis (songs) are recited on the occasion.
Bahadurgarh
It is about 7 km from Patiala on
Rajpura-Patiala Road. Before its occupation by Maharaja Amar Singh, Bahadurgarh
was called Saifabad. The village and the fort were founded by Nawab Saif Khan
during the second half of seventeenth century. Hoowever, the foundation of the
present fort was laid by Maharaja Karam singh of Patiala State in 1837. The
construction was completed in eight years and rupees ten lakhs were spent on
it. The circumference of the fort is about 2 km. Maharaja Karam Singh gave the
fort its present name to the sacred memory of Guru Teg Bahadur who visited this
place while on his way to Delhi during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb. There is
a gurudwara, dedicated rto Guru Teg Bahadur, inside the fort. There is also a
mosque built by Saif Khan in about 1668. The tomb of Saif Khan is about three
hundred yards from the fort. A fair known as Mela Roza Sharit Nawab Saif Ali
here during the months of June and January every year.
There is also an historical gurudwara
known as 'Sri Gurudwara Sahib Patshahai Nauvin' built in the sacred memory of
Guru Teg Bahadur who stayed here from 3 months and 9 days while going to Delhi
for martyrdom. Saif Ali Khan used to meet the Guru at this place. This
gurudwara is being managed by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee. A large
number of people visit this gurudwara on the occasion of Baisakhi every year.
Apart from the richi historical
background Bahadugarh is now making rapid progress in the field of industry
also. Industrial units like Escorts, Milk food, etc. provide ample employment
opportunities to the people residing in the surrounding areas.
Ghuram
Ghuram is an ancient village with a
rich historical background. It is about 35 km from Patiala on Patiala-Pehowa
road. The village is known for two things namely Gurudwara Milapsar Baoli Sahib
and Makbra Pir Bhikam Shah, the descriptioj of which is given below :
Gurudwara Milapsar, Baoli Sahib.-- It
is said that Lord Rama's mother, Kaushalya belonged to Ghuram and it was at
this place, where now gurudwara stands that the marriage party of Raja Dashrath
of Ayodhya had stayed. There is an old well baoli) here believed to be relating
to the times of Ramayan. Later on this place was also visited by Guru Gobind
Singh who met Pir Bhikam Shah here. A fair is held here in the month of
February which is visited by a large number of people..
Makbara Pir Bhikam Shah.-- Pir Bhikam
Shah was a well-known sintly figure during medieval times. He has his seat at
Ghuram. Akbar was also a disciple of this Pir. This Pir has a very long life
and lived upto the times of Guru Gobind Singh. He had a fore sight about the
birth of Guru Gobind Singh and reached Patna Sahib. He had darshan of the Guru
and made a prophecy that Guru Gobind Singh will care equally both for the
Hindus and the Muslims. Later on when the Guru visited Ghuram, Pir met him a
the site of the gurudwara. A very grand mkbara has been built at Ghuram to
commemorate the sacred memory of the Pir. A big fair uis held heere annuality
during distance places come to pay thei homage to the Pir.
Fatehgarh Sahib Tahsil, Sinhind
Sinhind is the most historical town
in Patiala District. It is situated on Sher Shah Suri Marg between Amabala and
Ludhina. It is about 47 km from Chandigarh Via Chunni, 50 km from Ambala and 60
km from Ludhiana. It is a railway junction on the Delhi Amritsar railway line
connecting it with Ambala-Ludhiana. The Rupnagar-Nangal railway line starts
from here. It is also connected by road with morinda, Rupnagar and Nangal in
the north and Patiala in the south. Its
population as per 1981 Census was 33,730.
Sirhind acquired prominence only in
the seventh Kingdom. This fact has also been authernticated by Hieun Tsang, the
Chinese pilgrim. Under the later Hindushahi rulers, the place was elevated to the status of a State Capital
and became a major frontier defence post. Later on, Sirhind reached its
pinnacle of glory during Muslim period. The period from Akbar to Aurangzeb is
considered the golden porid in the history of this city. It was then one of the
most flourishing towns of the Mughal Empire having 360 mosques, tombs, seraias
and wells. Undoubtedly. Sinhind was the largest city in the whole area of
present day Patiala District. to be more appropriate, no other city was as larg
as Sirhind in the whole of our present day Punjab.
It is said that the town of Sirhind
was once named as Sudpura and the Suds ruled here. They lost their rule as a
result of the Muslim conquest. According to Nasir Sirhindi, a contemporary
historian of Akbar's times, the Suds formed the bulk of the population and were
concentrated in the twenty mohallas which were situated north-west to the chowk-khas,
in fron oof the mint and the royal stable. Their population was increasing so
rapidly that the old city wall had to be dismantled in order to accommodate
them. They were a very rich community and their material prosperity was clearly
reflected in the way their 22 Chaudhris would go about in Palkis. Palkil
Nashini was a mark of status and the Suds were evidently men of status. It is
very surprising to note that inspite of their acknowledged financial
suprionity, they observed very simple marriage customs. All such rites were so
silently and simply observed that even the next door neighbour would not know
as to what was happening in the neighbourhood. Nasir Sirhindi considers this as
one of the causes responsible for their material prosperity.
According to Nasiri Sirhindi, during
the M<ughal period, Sirhidn possessed buildings which had no parallel in the
whole of India, and it enjoyed such commercial importance that the property in
Sirhind fetched twice as much price as the property at Delhi fetched at that
time. It was a mint towan for minting copper coins. It was strongly fortified
by an outer wall and strong town. The Hindu money-lenders were quite a
prosperous class and they owned some beautiful gardens. The town was also
famous for producing delicious mangoes.
In the medieval period, Sirhind has
become a great centre for trade. Because of its proximity to the hills, Chinese
good were pouring in large quantities for commercial purposes. This increasing
amount of trade added to the prosperity of the people of Sirhind. Seth Todar
Mal, a native and a businessman of Sirhind rose to the position of the Faujdar
of Sirhind. He proved himself to be an efficient administrator of Sirhind and
this town made much progress under him.
There is thus no doubt that under the
patronage of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Sirhind continued to march on the
orad to peace and prosperity, and it became one of the most flourishing towns
of the Mughal Empire. However, the policy of religious persecution launched by
Aurangzeb reversed the whole development of Sirhind. In 1705, a single act of
barbarity of the execution of two innocent sons of Guru Gobind Singh, committed
by Wazir Khan, the Faujdar of Sinhind, has the effect of a curse on the
prosperity of this ancient town. The revenge which the followers of the great
Sikh Guru took in the eighteenth century for this astrocious act was almost
unparalleled in the history of mankind. Consequently the city was devastated
out of all recognition. The Sikhs considered Sirhind as an instrument of the
sufferings of Guru Gobind Singh and for this prejudice, they destroyed it time
and agian. The first severest blow to Sirhind was given by the Sikhs under the
leadership of Banda Bahadur who was able to capture it from the Muslims in 1710
and established Sikh rule here for a short timed. Later on, this town was
included in Patiala State by Ala singh in 1763-64.
After passing through many
catastrophic events. Sirhind is a developing town. It has a number of
educational institutions including Mata Gujari College at Fatehgarh Sahib, six
higher secondary/high schools. A newly constructed 50 bedded hospital is also
located here. A new Tahsil complex at Fatehgarh Sahib has been set up which is
also the headquaters of Fatehgarh Subdivision.
There are still remnants of many
palatiqal buildings of medieval times which speak of a very high standard of
masonary of those times. Tombs of ustad and Shagird, mosque of Saint Butcher
Sadna and Jahaji Haveli of Seth Todar Mal are fine specimens of art, craft and
masonary of those times. The mosque of Sadna Kasai (butcher) is being
renovated. A unique feature regarding the medieval housing patern was that
almost all the houses had basements (bhoras) where the inmates of the houses
could hide whenever they were attached
by foreign invader. These basements can still be seen in many of the old houses
of the town.
Sirhind has become very famous for
production of cauliflower and garlic. About one-fourth of the total production
of Punjab with respect to the above commodities is convered by Sirhind. It is
also a big grain market. Moreover, Sirhind has become an important centre in
Punjab for making truck-bodies.
A brief description of the important
places of historical interest of Sirhind is given as under :
Gurdwara Fatehgrah Sahib.-- To
commemorate the martyrdom of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh who were bricked
alive in 1704 by Wazir Khan, the then Fauzdar of Sirhind, a mafnigiecent
gurudwara has been constructed. This gurudwara is known as Gurudwara Fatehgarh
Sahib, because it marks the conquest of the Sikhs in 1710 when under the
leadership of Banda Bahadur, the Sikhs ran over the area and razed the fort
(built by Ferozeshah Tughlaq) to the ground.
The main entrance to the gurudqara
was built by Maharaja Yadvindra Singh of Patiala in 1953. The historical wall
where the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh were bricked alive has been
preserved in this gurudwara. The sanctuary containing the historic wall is
known as Gurudwara Bhora Sahib.
Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri and
Gurudwara Shahid Ganj are also located in the main complex of Gurudwara
Fatehgrah Sahib. It was at the site of Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri that two
younger sons, Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh of Guru Gobind Singh and his mother
were kept in confinement by Wazir Khan, the then Faujdar of Sirhind. During
those time, this part of the fort was known as Thanda Burj, which was
considered a coll place during the summer. But it was as punishment for Guru's
sons and his mother to keep them here in extreme winter. It was at this place
that Mata Gujri collapsed on hearing the new of the martyrdom of her grandsons.
Later on, Gurudwara Mata Gujri was constructed at this place. Gurudwara Shahid
Ganj has been built to commemorate the
memory of those brave Sikhs who were killed while fighting with the Mughal
forces under the banner of Banda Bahadur. They were cremated at this place
where now Gurudwara Shahid Ganj stands.
A very big hall in the memory of Seth
Todar Mal who purchased land by paying gold coins for the cremation of the said
martyrs has been constructed behind the main gurudwara. A big tank has also
been built in the complex. A big Jor mela is held here in the month of December
every year when a large number of people from far and near visit this place.
With the establishement of Mata Gujri
College, Tahsil/Subdivisional Complex, Civil Hospital and Staff quarters for
governmentg employees, a new township has come up near Gurudwara Fatehgarh
Sahib.
Gurudwara Jyoti Sarup.-- This gurudwara is about 2
km from Fatehgarh Sahib on Sirhind-Chandigarh road. It was at this place that
the mortal remains of Mata Gujri, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh and his two
younger sons, Fateh Singh and Zorwar Singh were cremated,. It is believed that
Wazir Khan, the then Faujdar of Sirhind refused to allow tha cremation of
bodies unless the land for this purpose was purchased by spreading gold coins
(mohars). Seth Todar Mal who was an ardent devotee of Guru Gobind Singh
purchases this piece of land by offering gold coins as demanded. In order to
pay tribute to Todar Mal for his act of courage and bravery, the road leading
to this gurudwara and further going to Chandigarh has been named after him. The
old gurudwara is being demolished and in its place a new structure is coming
up.
Gurudwara Shahid Ganj.-- It is
situated just half a kilometer from Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib. It commemorates
the martyrdom of those Sikhs who where killed by the tyrannical Mughals. It is
believed that forty cart-loads of heads of martyred Sikhs which were being
taken, to Delhi for getting prize, were captured by the Sikhs of this area and
therir cremation was done at the place where now Gurudwara Shahid Ganj stands.
Rauza Sharif.-- Close to Gurudwara
Fatehgarh Sahib is the magnificent Rauza or Dargah of Shaikh AhmadFaruqi
Sirhindi, popularly known as Mujaddid, Alf-i-Sani who lived in the time of
Akbar and Jahangir from 1563 to 1624. The Sahikh is held in high esteem and is
considered by Sunni Muslims to be second to Prophet Mohammed. For this reason,
this mausoleum is regarded as a second Mecca by the Sunni Muslims. Every year,
thousands of Pilgrims from various parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Bangla Desh and other Muslim countries visit this place to pzrticipate in the
celebrations, knwon as Urs of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. The date of annual
celebration very from year to year. Every year, these celebrations preced by
ten days than the previous year. During 1989, these celebrations where held on
28 and 29 September.
By the side of the Rauza are the
tombs of the Afghan ruler, Sahh Zaman and his queen.
Aam Khas Bagh.-- The Aam Khas
Bagh means both the public and private garden.
It was built by the Mughal emperors. Both Jahangir and Shah Jahan used
to stay here while going to and coming back from Lahor. There were adequate
number of palaces for the stay of Mughal emperoros. A close scrutiny of the
remains of the paklaces clearly indicates that there was a perfect system of
air-conditioning in the palaces. There was also provisi0n of hot water during
winter. It provided ample facilities for rulers to camp here while in transit.
Some portions of these buildings have been renovated. These is tourist
restaurant, known as Maulsari Tourist Cimplex run by the Punjab Tourism
Development Corporation. It provides board and lodging facilities to the
visitors. A beautiful garden and a nursery with fruit trees and rare plants are
also being maintained. It is a very good spot for tourists.
During the famous Jor Meal at
Fatehgarh Sahib Gurudwara, the light and sound programme regarding the history
of Sirhind and the martyrdom of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh is shown to
the visitors at night in the Aam Khas Bagh.
Floating Restaurant, Sirhind.--
Floating restaurant constructed over the Sirhind Canal is an important tourist
spot rumn by the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation. It is at a distannce
of 5 km from Sirhind on the Sher Shah Suri Marg. It attracts a large number of
oturists, espectially during summer. These is also provision for night stay at
the restaurant. It has 8 suites. It is a unique type of restaurant in the whole
of Punjab. Built in the middle of the canal, it presents a picturesque view to
the visitors.
Dargaha of Baba Salar Pir.--
The dargah of Baba Salar Pir is a situated in old Sirhind near Das Nami Akhara.
It is held in great esteem by people of Sirhind and surrounding area. Baba
Salar Pir is said to be the contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh. He was well
known for this piritual powers and performance of miracles. It is believed that
he could make a wall move through his spiritual power.
In the month of July, a big fair is
held here for a period of siz days. Food is served to the people. There are
wrestling bouts and songs by famous singers. People come in large numbers of
pay homage to the Pir for ulfilment of their cherished desires.
Dera Baba Das Nami Akhara.--
This religious place is situated very close to the dargah of Baba Salar Pir. It
commemorates the memory of Baba Hardit Giri who was a great saint. Annual
congregation of saints is held here for three days on Friday, Saturady and
Sunday after Diwali. On Monday, a grand bhandara is held in which food cooked
in pure desi ghee is served to the people. Preachers come from distant places
and deliver religious sermons to the people.
Jnam Ashtmi and Shivratri are also
celebrated here with great enthusism. Langar (free kitche) is served to the
people on both these occasions.
A Sanskrit Pathshala (school) is also
run by the Managing Committee of the Dera.
Dera Baba Dyal Puri.-- This
dera (religious place) is close to Dera Baba
Das Bami Akhara. It commemorates the sacred memory of Babba Dyal Puri
who was a saintly figure.He was also a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh. The
dera is managed by the same body which looks after the Dera Baba Das Nami
Akhara. It is belived that the present town of Sirhind (old portion) could
survive only with the blessings of Baba Dyal Puri when a large portion of the
old town was destroyed by the Sikhs under Banda Bahadur.
Baba Dyal Puri Model High School is
run by the Managing Committee of the Dera Baba Dyal Puri.
Mata Shri Chkreshwari Devi Jain
Temple V. Attewali (Sirhind).-- It is situated in village Attewali opposite to
Gurudwara Jyoti Sarup on Sirhind-Chunni-Chandigrah road. This ancient temple is
said to be nearly 1000 years old. The legend goes that during the times of
Maharaja Prithvi Raj Chauhan, a large number of pilgrims from Rajasthan were
going in bullock-carts to the ancient Jain Temple of Kangra (situated still in
Kangra Fort) to have the blessings of Lord Adi Nath. The pilgrims had also
brough an idol of Mata Chakreshwari Devi, an ardent worshipper (known as
Rakshak Devi o9f Lord Adinath) of Lord Adinath. On their way, the caravan
halted for the night at the presentg site. Next morning when the caravan was
all set to move, the Rath (Chariot) carrying the idol of Mata Shri Chakreshwari
Devi did not move inspite the best efforts of the pilgrims. The devotees were
at a loss to know the reason and were perplexed. Then all of a sudden, there
was flood of light inside the Palki carrying the idol and there was an
Akashwani 'Let this be my place of Abode'. The pilgrims said 'Mother' this is
all sandy area, there is no water around here, we has a miserable night
yesterday'. The voice replied' A few yards towards north of this place dig the
land and you will get water. To the astonishment of pilgrims, they just dug a
few feet and a fountain of water started flowing. The pilgrims were very much
pleased and they established the idol of Mata Chakreshwari Devi at this place
and built a small but beautiful temple there. The pilgrims also settled here.
An annnual function is held on 14th
Moon day of Asooj. i.e. 4th day after Dussehara, which is attended by a large
number of devotees. The festival opens on the night of 13th Moon days and
closes on puranmashi. Food and refreshment is served to all the devotees.
The
spiritual powers of Mata Chakreshwari Devi have been depicted very nicely on
one of the walls of the temple through very fine glass work in a majestic
style. The fountain of water has been converted into a small well and a big
temple of Lord Adinath is under construction on this site. Even today, the
water of this tank is held sacred by the devotees and they carry home to
preserve the same considering it as sacred as water of Ganga.