Ajmer singh Randhawa
SPNer
By carefully reading the Udasis of Guru Nanak, we understand which areas Guru Nanak Ji visited! Whereas even the Janam Sakhis do not have complete details because Bhai Bala Ji, who wrote the Janam Sakhi, was not with him in every Udasis or was not present at every place!
This is also a subject of research!
The Janam Sakhi does not describe the pilgrimage in a series, if it were so, then the details of the places of Sikkim and Arunachal on the way to Tibet or returning from there would have also been given, this clearly means that Bhai Bala was not with him during the pilgrimage to Kailash or Sumer Parvat and Bhai Mardana was also stopped somewhere! When Guru Nanak Ji goes to Sachkhand, Bhai Mardana Ji does not go with him to Sachkhand. Still, is the conversation between Baba Nanak and Akal Purakh written?
Some corrupt historians have called the Janam Sakhis vague, meaning that they have expressed doubt on these writings! This is because the names of the places that existed 500 years ago, the kingdoms and kings that existed, the traces of their rule are not found now because at that time India was not a country, there were about 700 small and big kings in it, out of these Pakistan was formed, Bangladesh was formed and the remaining 565 kings added their kingdoms to this country to make one country India! That is why the Janam Sakhis are right but the historians are wrong who could not find these places or they dismiss them as false! Now we give a proof from the Janam Sakhis! There is a Sakhi in which Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana go to a region of Kama Rup where women rule, its queen was Nooran or Noorshah! Hindus today call her Lona Chamaran and call her a great expert in Tantra Mantra! There was a lot of magic in this area, if a man accidentally went to this area, the women would magically transform him into any animal and even transform him into a man for their own purposes! The same thing happened to Bhai Mardana!
They transformed Bhai Mardana into a ram! He prayed before Guru Nanak, then Baba Nanak reached there and made the magic of those witches fail, they fell at his feet! Their queen also came, whom Guru Ji taught, so she stopped doing such magic!
Those who read this testimony will never believe that this kingdom really existed once, but just in September-October 2023, I saw a post on Twitter or Facebook that a Hindu gentleman had written about this kingdom of women, in that too, the queen of that place was described as Nooran.
Hindus say that even today if you go to Kamakhya (Guwahati), there is a place called Neelanchal, which is called Triya Pradesh or the country of women, even today no man goes there, if he goes, he cannot return! I have this video! I am giving its link below, those who want can watch this video! 4.6M views · 73K reactions | jay bharat on Reels
And I myself learned a lot while fighting the 6-year case of Gurudwara Daang Mar in Sikkim! There is no direct reference to the pilgrimage to Sikkim in the Janam Sakhi, but it is written about going to Tibet, but which route he went to Tibet, this is a subject of research! Whereas now we know very well that Guru Nanak Ji came here while going to and from Tibet! Not only here, he also went to Arunachal Pradesh, where evidence has also been found! Thus, the Janam Sakhi does not say that Guru Nanak Ji met the British Pope, but the evidence tells that Guru Nanak Ji met Pope X in the Vatican and Guru Nanak also opposed the enslavement of others by Christians, which was accepted by the Pope and the practice of slavery was abolished! According to their data, this meeting is said to have taken place in 1520!
Then I also became convinced that the places visited by Guru Nanak Ji in the Janam Sakhis are true!
Another thing is that in the Janam Sakhis, the places in the Udasi that we are told in the Udasi, where Guru Sahib went in the first, second, third or fourth Udasi, only this is known, but with the current research, some evidence has also been found that shows the local time and period there!
During the First World War, when British and Indian forces captured Baghdad, the Sikhs discovered the site where Guru Nanak Dev Ji had preached with Bahlol. It is located to the west of the city, between the old graveyard to the north and the present Baghdad-Samra railway line to the south. Dr. Kirpal Singh, who was then a Captain in the Indian Medical Service, also saw it during the war, and he, in a letter to his brother dated October 15, 1918, described it as follows:
“It is really a modest building and is known to very few except the Sikhs. To some Arabs it is also known as ‘Bahlol’s Tomb’. You enter the building through a small door, on which is written something in Arabic, which is not visible to the average visitor. It is difficult to read even with attention. I could not read it so could not copy it. I have taken a photograph of the exterior, which I will send you in due course. Entering the building, you come across a brick-paved path that leads to a room on your right (with a veranda), where you find the tomb and a raised platform. In the courtyard are some trees, mostly pomegranates.”[2]
The words ‘Arabic inscription’, written on the stone, are given below:
“Tabular inscription on the site”
The following facts emerge from the above poem:
Baghdad 912 AH (1506 E.) [AH 912] The existence of an inscription dated AH 900 (1494/1495=1506) indicates a visit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to this place.
Was Baghdad then part of Iran?
Bahlol, a Persian saint disciple, listened to the Guru's discourses/words on life and the path and eternal spring for eight fortnights (8x15=120 days i.e. 4 months).
Bahlol lived to be 60 years old and was still revered by the king and the people after his death.
Bahlol had written on the stone, “Here the Hindu Guru Nanak Dev Ji spoke to the fakir Bahlol, and in these sixty winters (60 years), since the Guru Ji left Iran, Bahlol’s soul has been soothed by the Guru Ji’s holy words, like a bee that sits on a rose flower in the morning light to get its nectar!
In Baghdad, where Guru Nanak and him spoke, there is a stone inscription carved in the place built by Pir Bahlol, which says Hijri 917! It is clear that this place and this stone must have been erected after Guru Nanak’s departure from this world! According to the English year, this year becomes 1512!
In Baghdad, 917 Hijri (1506 AD) [AH 917] AH 900 (1494/1495+17= 1512) The existence of the inscription indicates the visit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to this place. 900 AH is said to be 1494-95, and if we add 12 more years, it becomes 1506-7!
An inscription on a stone placed there also reads;
(Dr. Chahal [3] obtained the following translation of the above from Dr. Mehmedoglu);
Allah Almighty desires that this memorial or building of the humble Baba Nanak will prove to be a unique benevolent foundation for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the world. Seven saints came to help in the construction of this building in AH 917 (1512).
According to the AH 917 date conversion system [3], it is equivalent to AD 1511. This has also been confirmed by Dr. Ali Ulvi Mehmedoglu from the writings written at the end of the inscription. This means that this inscription is either It was inscribed during the stay of Guru Nanak Dev Ji or after he left Baghdad. Dr. Chahal has further stated that the date of AH 917 (1511 AD) in that inscription (Fig. 1) is evidence that Guru Nanak was in Baghdad before or before that year (1511 AD).
However, it can only be established from the translation that the building commemorating the visit was built in AH 917 (1511 AD) and not that Guru Nanak Dev Ji was in Baghdad in 1511 AD. However, it proves that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had visited Guru Nanak Dev Ji before 1511 AD and not later because the monument could have been built only after the event took place.
Dr. Tarlochan Singh's book 'Jeevan Charitra Guru Nanak Dev Ji' contains photo plates of a manuscript, in which Guru Nanak Dev Ji There are details of a visit to the tomb of Bahlol in Baghdad and these poems were written long after Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited this place in 1511 AD.
The contents of Plates X and XII are given below:
“In all countries I am known as Fakir Bahlol. I have travelled to far and wide. So Nanak, I came to the holy city of Baghdad to see Bahlol the Sage, who was told by an unseen voice that Nanak Fakir, who is very fond of you, is coming to me in the hope of seeking forgiveness from me (God)!” (Plate X).
"The above verses were composed when I came to the tomb of Bahlol Dana 'Abasi' and stayed at 'Abhasiya Taqiyya' in Mulla Sihyat-ul-Khizran while returning from Mecca on 17 Rab-ul-Awwal, 917 AH. I stayed till the month of Rajab and then in the company of my dear friend Rukn-ud-Din I set out for India." (Plate XII)
Plates X and C
Prof. Himmat Singh [4] has mentioned in his paper three recently extant manuscripts written by Taj-ud-Din Naqshbandi, Tawarikh-i-Arab (1505-06 A.D.). 6) Khwaja Zain ul Abidin and Guni-tus-Lehin (1506-07) written by Abdul Rahman.
Baba Nanak's visit to Mecca and During the pilgrimage to other Muslim countries, a man named Tajuddin Naqshbandi stayed with the Guru Sahib and for about one and a half to two years he kept writing down everything he saw. His manuscript ‘Siyahto Baba Nanak Fakir’ is now in the University of Medina, from which we have got even more solid evidence! The servant of the Kaaba, Qazi Rukandin, was the same person who had held the feet of Baba Nanak and walked around with him, seeing this, he asked Baba Nanak some questions and became his disciple! The author of the manuscript ‘Siyahto Baba Nanak Fakir’ (1509 AD) [5] travelled with the Guru from 1504-06 AD and wrote daily accounts of his travels to Mecca and Medina and wrote the manuscript in 1509 AD and it was deposited in the Medina Library. Preserved.
Khwaja Zain-ul-Aab (i) Din, author of Tawarikh (i) Arab, (1505-06 AD, unpublished) [6] was present in the presence of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the graveyard of Mecca. He writes in the chapter Bab-ul-Makka of his book ‘Tawarikh-i-Arab’ (p. 300): Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s sermon was heard by 300 followers. Rukan-ud-Din went into deep meditation. After this Rukan-ud-Din never returned to his home and remained in meditation in a cave until he was put to death by the fundamentalist regime.
Now from this we know that Guru Nanak Ji had come to Baghdad before 1512.
Now these eyewitnesses tell us that Guru Nanak Ji was present in Baghdad from 1504 to 1506. Stayed in Mecca! This also shows that the meeting with Pir Bahlol in Baghdad took place after 1506! Perhaps not much time had passed, this meeting could have taken place in 1507 as well, but before there is a consensus on this, we will also have to see the evidence of Guru Nanak worshipping in Baghdad.
The Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala (compiled by Dr. Kirpal Singh, Antika p. 280), mentions Guru Nanak’s going to Mecca from East Asia after meeting Raja Kavalen. ‘Mardana asked the Guru, “Where the place is called Mecca?” Guru Nanak replied, “Mardana! Do you want to see it?” Mardana said, “The Turks admire it very much. Let us see it too.” ……Guru Nanak said, <TAG 1> It is 2500 kos (4000 miles from here). Hindus are not allowed there.” (p. 280)
If we look at these distances from Bangkok in East Asia to Mecca, it is 4018 miles. 2500 kos as mentioned by Guru Nanak is equal to 4000 miles. If we take the distance from any other city, like Lahore to Mecca which is 2240 miles which does not count. So the distance from Mecca from the east is more logical than Lahore or Punjab. So the journey to Mecca from the east distance itself seems logical.
From the above it can be concluded that:
Guru Nanak travelled to the Arab countries between 1504-1507 CE.
After his journey to East Asia, it is possible that Guru Nanak visited the Arab countries in his first Jatra!
Since no other reliable dates of Guru Nanak's travels are available, other than his arrival at Sayyidpur in 1521 A.D., the acceptance of these dates will have to be done with caution and detailed research as it changes the face of four or five journeys as mentioned in the Puratan Janmasakhi and other sources/books published later.
New Research:
I was attending an International Conference on Bioenergy in Istanbul, Turkey in 1994 where I also presented my research paper on "Ethanol production as a source of energy from wood". On the last day of the conference all the participants went on a cruise. The Strait of Bosporus (lat. Cattle Crossing), which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmora (about 32 km). The Strait of Bosporus divides the East (Mainland Turkey in the Asian continent) and the West. (Istanbul is located on the European continent).
On my way back from the cruise, as I was walking towards our waiting bus, I came across a large monument. This monument is made of mortar about 15 feet high and about 6 feet wide. It is located in a public park on the banks of the Bosphorus Straits towards Istanbul, Turkey. It has an inscription in Arabic/Persian script. When I looked at the inscription of this monument, I noticed "Nanak" at the end of the first line of its inscription. A large part of the inscription is unreadable due to the effects of weathering. There are some small cracks that have been filled with cement.
In addition, it is in the old Turkish language in Arabic script which is difficult to understand. However, I was definitely able to make out the word - "Nanak", since I know Arabic letters. I decided to take a picture of the monument with its inscription for further investigation later. The next morning I returned home to Canada. Upon my return I consulted one of my students from Turkey to decipher the inscription. However, he was unable to decipher the inscription as severe weather had made it unreadable. I then consulted some other people from Turkey, without any success. Further research to decipher its inscription lay dormant for 12 years until I went to Lahore, Pakistan on February 18, 2006 to participate in an international conference on “Guru Nanak Heritage for Peace”.
Baba Nanak's Monument in Turkey
Inscription:
I (Davinder Singh) came to know the significance of the monument only when Mr. Iqbal Kaiser, author of a book, "Sikh Shrines in Pakistan", and Mr. Syed Afzal Haider, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who is also the author of a book on Baba Nanak, helped me to understand the first line of the inscription, which is in Turkish. It seemed clear from this that it was dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The first line as explained by them is as follows:
In Turkish (transliterated into Gurmukhi script):
Jahangir Jama Maji Lat Abd Al Majid Nanak.
In Punjabi meaning:
Master of the chant, the honor of the person, Nanak of the Lord.
(Master of the time, the man of India, Nanak of the Lord)
In English meaning:
Master of time, the inhabitant of India, Nanak of the Lord.
The rest of the long inscription is illegible and still remains to be deciphered.
The monument is dated 1850 AD. It cannot be conclusively established whether this monument belongs to Guru Nanak Dev Ji or someone else named Nanak. There are many unanswered questions. Why would anyone build a monument in Turkey three centuries after Guru Nanak Dev Ji's death? Then, Nanak is not found in Arabic or Turkish!
The platform reference is on page 264 in Giani Gian Singh's book Tawarikh Khalsa published by the Language Department Punjab.
Guru Nanak in SikhiWiki, Turkish dictionaries. References to India may point to Guru Nanak.
Further study of its history shows that the monument was built in the name of Sultan Abd-al-Majid of the Ottoman Empire in 1267 AH (1850 AD). A harbor was established in that area (Kabata) to protect the Sultan's boats from strong winds, and this stone monument was placed there at that time. On the back of the monument, the benefits of the harbor are engraved, and on the front side, facing the Straits of Bosporus, there is a prayer for the Sultan. Could this prayer be connected to Guru Nanak? In Islam, Guru Nanak is often recorded on the Baghdad Stone as a Sufi named 'Baba Nanak', 'Baba Nanak Fakir' and even 'Hazrat Rab Majid Baba Nanak Fakir'.
The Sufi tradition in Turkey is connected to the one in India. Considering this connection, could this monument be somehow related to the Sufi tradition? Until the entire inscription on both sides of the monument is translated, it cannot be said for sure whether this monument is connected to Guru Nanak Dev Ji or not.
However, the second route, via Cairo, Syria, Turkey and then Baghdad, could have been easier. There is evidence that the Guru went from Medina to Cairo (this is supported by Arabic writers and the Guru's platform in Cairo). If a link between the Guru and Turkey is established, then the case for the second route becomes more plausible.
The general opinion is that Guru Nanak Dev Ji went directly from Medina to Baghdad, and took the shortest route.
Journeys:
When I was finding out that if Guru Nanak Ji was on a pilgrimage to the Arab countries from 1500 to 1507, then he should have reached Talwandi by the end of 1503 from the first Udasi, only after that his pilgrimage to the Arab countries could have started! When I was searching for this route, I came across this writing by Dr. Tarlochan Singh Ji, with this route and I also agree with this route because this was the route I had in mind too! So, the basic information about the route has been found, now we need to find out when Guru Nanak Ji returned to Talwandi?
The route may have remained the same or something similar, but I make a slight change in this route, this route turns from Baghdad to Uzbekistan, where Baku Atishgah is located, to that side.
The above new discovery of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's monument can connect Guru Nanak Dev Ji's journey from Mecca to Israel, Palestine, Syria and Turkey and then to Baghdad instead of directly from Mecca to Baghdad as is generally accepted. The generally accepted journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, based entirely on the information given by Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh, has been drawn in solid lines. According to them, Guru Nanak Dev Ji started his journey from Talwandi to Sultanpur to meet his sister before embarking on a long journey.
From Sultanpur he went to Pakpattan (Ajodhan) to renew his old contacts with Sheikh Ibrahim Farid II. From there he went to Multan to meet Baha-ud-din, the descendant and successor of the famous Sheikh Baha-ud-din Zakaria, the founder of the Suhrawardi Sufi order in India. From Multan Guru Nanak Dev Ji proceeded to Uch (Deogarh). Here Guru Nanak Dev Ji met Sheikh Haji Abdullah Bukhari (d. 1526 AD), the successor of Kalal-ud-din Bukhari.
From Uch to Sukkur to Lakhpat (Basta Bandar) probably by boat (in the Indus River?) There is an old Gurdwara here commemorating the journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. From here he walked along the seashore where he visited the old temples of Koteshwar and Narayan Swami at Kuriani. From there he proceeded to Sonmiani (or simply Miyani). Before boarding a boat to Mecca, he visited a Hindu temple in Hinglaj. There is a Nanak Dharamshala in this town.
According to Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh, Guru Nanak Dev Ji boarded a boat that sailed from Sonmiani via the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to Jeddah (Al Aswad), a port near Mecca. They say that after visiting Mecca and Medina, Guru Nanak Dev Ji went to Baghdad in Iraq, then to Tehran and Kabul and finally back (Talwandi) to Kartarpur. They argue that Guru Nanak Dev Ji followed a direct and shorter route to Baghdad than the longer route through Palestine, Syria and Turkey as mentioned in some Janam Sakhis.
However, Dr. Trilochan Singh has stated that there are some indications that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Cairo (Egypt) where during the war Sikh soldiers were shown a place on the outskirts of the town where there was a stone memorial (Captain Bhag Singh, who arranged for its installation). The editor of the Sikh Review was informed about the existence of this memorial when he was in Cairo during the Second World War. Unfortunately he was unable to visit it. Dr. Trilochan Singh has also stated from the work of Sidney Nettleton Fisher that in Egypt or in Istanbul (Turkey) Guru Nanak Dev Ji met the Emperor of Rum Salim (1511-1520 CA). Due to lack of any concrete evidence, Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh further strengthened their views that the shortest route from Baghdad to Mecca was first prepared for the Hajj (pilgrimage) by Zubaida Begum, wife of Caliph Harun Rashid. C. And then during the 14th century Ibn Battuta followed the same route for his journey from Baghdad to Mecca. He has ignored the fact that the route through Palestine, Syria and Turkey and then to Baghdad may be easier than the direct route he proposes.
He has also ignored another fact that while staying in Mecca, Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited the ancient civilization center in Cairo (Egypt) and the Jewish center in Jerusalem (Israel) very close to it and a Sufi center was established by Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya (Turkey), whose philosophy was very popular not only in the Middle East but also in India and now in the West.
Since Guru Nanak Dev Ji has not left any place associated with Sufism, and religious center, therefore, it is quite possible that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited the ancient civilization in Cairo (Egypt), the Jewish center in Jerusalem near Herod's The temple's wailing wall, the Sufi centre started by the Sufis, must have visited. Rumin met the Emperor Selim of Rum in Konya (Turkey) and perhaps Istanbul (Turkey). If the inscription on the newly discovered monument confirms that it is a memorial of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it will confirm that Guru Nanak did not go directly to Baghdad from Mecca but went to Cairo, Jerusalem, Syria and Konya and Istanbul in Turkey before going to Baghdad.
Purpose;
Dr. Trilochan Singh has stated that the Qazis and Hajis addressed Guru Nanak Dev Ji as "Nanak Hindvi" or "Nanak Hind Ki". The first line of the inscription clearly indicates that it is related to Guru Nanak Dev Ji who is called "Hind da Banda, Rab da Nanak". Therefore, it becomes imperative for scholars and Sikhs as a whole to examine the rest of the inscription to find out. Understanding the inscription:
Is this inscription about Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Turkey?
If the inscription is about Guru Nanak, what is the full message?
Is this a monument built in the memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
Some other questions related to this;
The Institute for Understanding Sikhism has undertaken a research project to study the history of this research monument dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji on the following lines:
To transfer the location of the monument and the significance of that site for tourists visiting Istanbul.
To discover the original inscription of that monument and decipher it in English and Punjabi.
To obtain any information regarding Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s journey in Turkey.
To visit various religious places of Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi to find out the possibilities of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s discourse with the religious leaders of that time.
To find evidence of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s meeting with Emperor Salim of Rum in Istanbul.
To negotiate with the Department of Archaeology and the Municipality of Istanbul regarding the future maintenance of this monument and to discuss the possibilities of constructing such monuments with English and Punjabi translations of the original Turkish inscription.
To deliver a lecture on Guru Nanak's travels in India and the Middle East to the faculty and students of the Department of Archaeology of Ankara University.
To research the return route taken by Guru Nanak Dev Ji after visiting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
To publish a report on the results of the research carried out with special reference to the discovery of this monument and then to write a book, Travels of Guru Nanak.
Approach;
I am already in contact with Mr. Tugrul Biltekin, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa, Canada. He is willing to help me research this project and to allow me to consult the relevant documents at the Department of Archaeology in Ankara and its branch in Istanbul and the Municipality of Istanbul. They will also arrange meetings with religious leaders of the Sufi shrine of Rumi in Konya, Turkey, to explore the possibility of Guru Nanak Dev Ji visiting this site.
Achievements
Deciphering the entire inscription on this newly discovered monument will confirm Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Turkey.
Confirmation of the monument's connection to Guru Nanak Dev Ji will further strengthen the possibilities of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Cairo (Egypt), Jerusalem (Israel), Syria, Lebanon and Turkey (dotted lines), covering the entire Middle East. Mecca, Baghdad, Tehran and Kabul (solid lines) have already been confirmed.
The monument's location in a public park on the banks of the Bosphorus Straits on the European continent towards Istanbul, Turkey, adds to its importance to tourists from around the world.
The above achievements, upon completion of this research project, are going to prove the journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to the end of the Middle East (Turkey) and the beginning of Europe (Istanbul) and the establishment of a new Gurdwara (a place or structure). Importance or centrality in Sikh history and as a memorial to Guru Nanak Dev Ji) - - a matter of pride for every Sikh.
Future Plans
The original monument is to be preserved with its damaged inscription. A similar monument is to be built with the original inscription, which can be clearly read. Still another such monument is to be built with a translation of the original inscription in Punjabi on one side and in English on the other. It will become a historic pilgrimage for Sikhs in Istanbul on the shores of the Bosphorus on the European continent where the West meets the East. The role of UNESCO in preserving this monument as a World Heritage Site will be known after understanding the inscription of the newly discovered monument of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to Dr. Avtar Singh Dhaliwal, Sarjit Singh Sidhu, Balbir Singh, Baldev Singh, Teja Singh, Kulbir Singh Thind and Dr. (Mrs.) Khushdev Thind for their helpful suggestions to improve its presentation. Special thanks to my son Dr. Parminder Singh Chahal for preparing the figures.
Updated (5 January 2007)
File: Istanbullcapture.JPG
A Muslim preacher named Zakir Naik had said in a program that Guru Nanak neither went to Mecca nor visited Mecca, which can never happen?
In Sikhism, Bhai Gurdas Ji is highly respected, he is blessed with the privilege of writing the Bir of the Adi Granth! He was the maternal uncle of the fifth Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji! He wrote his Vars, which are called the key to Gurbani!
Bhai Gurdas Ji has given evidence of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's visit to Mecca in his Vars, whatever happened there, he recorded all these events in sequence, yet Muslims could not recover from a religious disease, they see their religion above all! We have authentic writings of Muslim writers of that time which were found at the University of Medina and Principal Prithvipal Singh Ji, who was previously a Muslim (Mushtaq Hussain), copied them! From these we get the valuable information that tells us that Guru Nanak Ji himself was Nirankar, who could stop him from going to Mecca?
Muslims consider many of them as prophets, but if someone asks them what are the conditions for being a prophet or a prophet? And then see whether the true king Guru Nanak Ji is above that status or not? Does he fulfill these conditions of theirs, then the answer will be "Yes"!
This Mecca has already moved from its place three times before Guru Nanak Ji's visit, of which we also have written evidence, whether the Muslims tell it or not?
Hazrat Ibn writes in his book Fatuhat Makih that he saw that the Kaaba was coming towards him to bury him when he had some thoughts of blasphemy in his mind while performing Hajj (Israr Shariat, Part-2, Page 74).
Rabia, once, while going for Hajj again, was passing through a forest when she saw the Kaaba coming towards her to welcome her! Rabia said, 'I was sure that I had hoped to see God, what should I do with the house of God? If He (God) had moved towards me even by a hand span, I would have moved many yards, what should I do with the Kaaba?' Hazrat Ibrahim Azam went to Mecca, he was very surprised when he saw that the Kaaba was not in its place? He rubbed his eyes to see if there was any movement anywhere? But no, the Kaaba was not there! At that moment, he heard a divine voice saying, 'There is no confusion in your eyes, the Kaaba has gone to welcome a woman who is tired of walking who has come for Hajj'! (Tajkiratul Awliya, page 62).
This Sakhi is written for the information of Sikhs that without going to the words of others, have full faith only in your Guru and Sakhi, tell this truth to your children so that they too remain connected to Sikhism and have faith in Guru Nanak, the true king!
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!!
Your servant:
Ajmer Singh Randhawa
This is also a subject of research!
The Janam Sakhi does not describe the pilgrimage in a series, if it were so, then the details of the places of Sikkim and Arunachal on the way to Tibet or returning from there would have also been given, this clearly means that Bhai Bala was not with him during the pilgrimage to Kailash or Sumer Parvat and Bhai Mardana was also stopped somewhere! When Guru Nanak Ji goes to Sachkhand, Bhai Mardana Ji does not go with him to Sachkhand. Still, is the conversation between Baba Nanak and Akal Purakh written?
Some corrupt historians have called the Janam Sakhis vague, meaning that they have expressed doubt on these writings! This is because the names of the places that existed 500 years ago, the kingdoms and kings that existed, the traces of their rule are not found now because at that time India was not a country, there were about 700 small and big kings in it, out of these Pakistan was formed, Bangladesh was formed and the remaining 565 kings added their kingdoms to this country to make one country India! That is why the Janam Sakhis are right but the historians are wrong who could not find these places or they dismiss them as false! Now we give a proof from the Janam Sakhis! There is a Sakhi in which Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana go to a region of Kama Rup where women rule, its queen was Nooran or Noorshah! Hindus today call her Lona Chamaran and call her a great expert in Tantra Mantra! There was a lot of magic in this area, if a man accidentally went to this area, the women would magically transform him into any animal and even transform him into a man for their own purposes! The same thing happened to Bhai Mardana!
They transformed Bhai Mardana into a ram! He prayed before Guru Nanak, then Baba Nanak reached there and made the magic of those witches fail, they fell at his feet! Their queen also came, whom Guru Ji taught, so she stopped doing such magic!
Those who read this testimony will never believe that this kingdom really existed once, but just in September-October 2023, I saw a post on Twitter or Facebook that a Hindu gentleman had written about this kingdom of women, in that too, the queen of that place was described as Nooran.
Hindus say that even today if you go to Kamakhya (Guwahati), there is a place called Neelanchal, which is called Triya Pradesh or the country of women, even today no man goes there, if he goes, he cannot return! I have this video! I am giving its link below, those who want can watch this video! 4.6M views · 73K reactions | jay bharat on Reels
And I myself learned a lot while fighting the 6-year case of Gurudwara Daang Mar in Sikkim! There is no direct reference to the pilgrimage to Sikkim in the Janam Sakhi, but it is written about going to Tibet, but which route he went to Tibet, this is a subject of research! Whereas now we know very well that Guru Nanak Ji came here while going to and from Tibet! Not only here, he also went to Arunachal Pradesh, where evidence has also been found! Thus, the Janam Sakhi does not say that Guru Nanak Ji met the British Pope, but the evidence tells that Guru Nanak Ji met Pope X in the Vatican and Guru Nanak also opposed the enslavement of others by Christians, which was accepted by the Pope and the practice of slavery was abolished! According to their data, this meeting is said to have taken place in 1520!
Then I also became convinced that the places visited by Guru Nanak Ji in the Janam Sakhis are true!
Another thing is that in the Janam Sakhis, the places in the Udasi that we are told in the Udasi, where Guru Sahib went in the first, second, third or fourth Udasi, only this is known, but with the current research, some evidence has also been found that shows the local time and period there!
During the First World War, when British and Indian forces captured Baghdad, the Sikhs discovered the site where Guru Nanak Dev Ji had preached with Bahlol. It is located to the west of the city, between the old graveyard to the north and the present Baghdad-Samra railway line to the south. Dr. Kirpal Singh, who was then a Captain in the Indian Medical Service, also saw it during the war, and he, in a letter to his brother dated October 15, 1918, described it as follows:
“It is really a modest building and is known to very few except the Sikhs. To some Arabs it is also known as ‘Bahlol’s Tomb’. You enter the building through a small door, on which is written something in Arabic, which is not visible to the average visitor. It is difficult to read even with attention. I could not read it so could not copy it. I have taken a photograph of the exterior, which I will send you in due course. Entering the building, you come across a brick-paved path that leads to a room on your right (with a veranda), where you find the tomb and a raised platform. In the courtyard are some trees, mostly pomegranates.”[2]
The words ‘Arabic inscription’, written on the stone, are given below:
“Tabular inscription on the site”
The following facts emerge from the above poem:
Baghdad 912 AH (1506 E.) [AH 912] The existence of an inscription dated AH 900 (1494/1495=1506) indicates a visit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to this place.
Was Baghdad then part of Iran?
Bahlol, a Persian saint disciple, listened to the Guru's discourses/words on life and the path and eternal spring for eight fortnights (8x15=120 days i.e. 4 months).
Bahlol lived to be 60 years old and was still revered by the king and the people after his death.
Bahlol had written on the stone, “Here the Hindu Guru Nanak Dev Ji spoke to the fakir Bahlol, and in these sixty winters (60 years), since the Guru Ji left Iran, Bahlol’s soul has been soothed by the Guru Ji’s holy words, like a bee that sits on a rose flower in the morning light to get its nectar!
In Baghdad, where Guru Nanak and him spoke, there is a stone inscription carved in the place built by Pir Bahlol, which says Hijri 917! It is clear that this place and this stone must have been erected after Guru Nanak’s departure from this world! According to the English year, this year becomes 1512!
In Baghdad, 917 Hijri (1506 AD) [AH 917] AH 900 (1494/1495+17= 1512) The existence of the inscription indicates the visit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to this place. 900 AH is said to be 1494-95, and if we add 12 more years, it becomes 1506-7!
An inscription on a stone placed there also reads;
(Dr. Chahal [3] obtained the following translation of the above from Dr. Mehmedoglu);
Allah Almighty desires that this memorial or building of the humble Baba Nanak will prove to be a unique benevolent foundation for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the world. Seven saints came to help in the construction of this building in AH 917 (1512).
According to the AH 917 date conversion system [3], it is equivalent to AD 1511. This has also been confirmed by Dr. Ali Ulvi Mehmedoglu from the writings written at the end of the inscription. This means that this inscription is either It was inscribed during the stay of Guru Nanak Dev Ji or after he left Baghdad. Dr. Chahal has further stated that the date of AH 917 (1511 AD) in that inscription (Fig. 1) is evidence that Guru Nanak was in Baghdad before or before that year (1511 AD).
However, it can only be established from the translation that the building commemorating the visit was built in AH 917 (1511 AD) and not that Guru Nanak Dev Ji was in Baghdad in 1511 AD. However, it proves that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had visited Guru Nanak Dev Ji before 1511 AD and not later because the monument could have been built only after the event took place.
Dr. Tarlochan Singh's book 'Jeevan Charitra Guru Nanak Dev Ji' contains photo plates of a manuscript, in which Guru Nanak Dev Ji There are details of a visit to the tomb of Bahlol in Baghdad and these poems were written long after Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited this place in 1511 AD.
The contents of Plates X and XII are given below:
“In all countries I am known as Fakir Bahlol. I have travelled to far and wide. So Nanak, I came to the holy city of Baghdad to see Bahlol the Sage, who was told by an unseen voice that Nanak Fakir, who is very fond of you, is coming to me in the hope of seeking forgiveness from me (God)!” (Plate X).
"The above verses were composed when I came to the tomb of Bahlol Dana 'Abasi' and stayed at 'Abhasiya Taqiyya' in Mulla Sihyat-ul-Khizran while returning from Mecca on 17 Rab-ul-Awwal, 917 AH. I stayed till the month of Rajab and then in the company of my dear friend Rukn-ud-Din I set out for India." (Plate XII)
Plates X and C
Prof. Himmat Singh [4] has mentioned in his paper three recently extant manuscripts written by Taj-ud-Din Naqshbandi, Tawarikh-i-Arab (1505-06 A.D.). 6) Khwaja Zain ul Abidin and Guni-tus-Lehin (1506-07) written by Abdul Rahman.
Baba Nanak's visit to Mecca and During the pilgrimage to other Muslim countries, a man named Tajuddin Naqshbandi stayed with the Guru Sahib and for about one and a half to two years he kept writing down everything he saw. His manuscript ‘Siyahto Baba Nanak Fakir’ is now in the University of Medina, from which we have got even more solid evidence! The servant of the Kaaba, Qazi Rukandin, was the same person who had held the feet of Baba Nanak and walked around with him, seeing this, he asked Baba Nanak some questions and became his disciple! The author of the manuscript ‘Siyahto Baba Nanak Fakir’ (1509 AD) [5] travelled with the Guru from 1504-06 AD and wrote daily accounts of his travels to Mecca and Medina and wrote the manuscript in 1509 AD and it was deposited in the Medina Library. Preserved.
Khwaja Zain-ul-Aab (i) Din, author of Tawarikh (i) Arab, (1505-06 AD, unpublished) [6] was present in the presence of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the graveyard of Mecca. He writes in the chapter Bab-ul-Makka of his book ‘Tawarikh-i-Arab’ (p. 300): Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s sermon was heard by 300 followers. Rukan-ud-Din went into deep meditation. After this Rukan-ud-Din never returned to his home and remained in meditation in a cave until he was put to death by the fundamentalist regime.
Now from this we know that Guru Nanak Ji had come to Baghdad before 1512.
Now these eyewitnesses tell us that Guru Nanak Ji was present in Baghdad from 1504 to 1506. Stayed in Mecca! This also shows that the meeting with Pir Bahlol in Baghdad took place after 1506! Perhaps not much time had passed, this meeting could have taken place in 1507 as well, but before there is a consensus on this, we will also have to see the evidence of Guru Nanak worshipping in Baghdad.
The Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala (compiled by Dr. Kirpal Singh, Antika p. 280), mentions Guru Nanak’s going to Mecca from East Asia after meeting Raja Kavalen. ‘Mardana asked the Guru, “Where the place is called Mecca?” Guru Nanak replied, “Mardana! Do you want to see it?” Mardana said, “The Turks admire it very much. Let us see it too.” ……Guru Nanak said, <TAG 1> It is 2500 kos (4000 miles from here). Hindus are not allowed there.” (p. 280)
If we look at these distances from Bangkok in East Asia to Mecca, it is 4018 miles. 2500 kos as mentioned by Guru Nanak is equal to 4000 miles. If we take the distance from any other city, like Lahore to Mecca which is 2240 miles which does not count. So the distance from Mecca from the east is more logical than Lahore or Punjab. So the journey to Mecca from the east distance itself seems logical.
From the above it can be concluded that:
Guru Nanak travelled to the Arab countries between 1504-1507 CE.
After his journey to East Asia, it is possible that Guru Nanak visited the Arab countries in his first Jatra!
Since no other reliable dates of Guru Nanak's travels are available, other than his arrival at Sayyidpur in 1521 A.D., the acceptance of these dates will have to be done with caution and detailed research as it changes the face of four or five journeys as mentioned in the Puratan Janmasakhi and other sources/books published later.
New Research:
I was attending an International Conference on Bioenergy in Istanbul, Turkey in 1994 where I also presented my research paper on "Ethanol production as a source of energy from wood". On the last day of the conference all the participants went on a cruise. The Strait of Bosporus (lat. Cattle Crossing), which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmora (about 32 km). The Strait of Bosporus divides the East (Mainland Turkey in the Asian continent) and the West. (Istanbul is located on the European continent).
On my way back from the cruise, as I was walking towards our waiting bus, I came across a large monument. This monument is made of mortar about 15 feet high and about 6 feet wide. It is located in a public park on the banks of the Bosphorus Straits towards Istanbul, Turkey. It has an inscription in Arabic/Persian script. When I looked at the inscription of this monument, I noticed "Nanak" at the end of the first line of its inscription. A large part of the inscription is unreadable due to the effects of weathering. There are some small cracks that have been filled with cement.
In addition, it is in the old Turkish language in Arabic script which is difficult to understand. However, I was definitely able to make out the word - "Nanak", since I know Arabic letters. I decided to take a picture of the monument with its inscription for further investigation later. The next morning I returned home to Canada. Upon my return I consulted one of my students from Turkey to decipher the inscription. However, he was unable to decipher the inscription as severe weather had made it unreadable. I then consulted some other people from Turkey, without any success. Further research to decipher its inscription lay dormant for 12 years until I went to Lahore, Pakistan on February 18, 2006 to participate in an international conference on “Guru Nanak Heritage for Peace”.
Baba Nanak's Monument in Turkey
Inscription:
I (Davinder Singh) came to know the significance of the monument only when Mr. Iqbal Kaiser, author of a book, "Sikh Shrines in Pakistan", and Mr. Syed Afzal Haider, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who is also the author of a book on Baba Nanak, helped me to understand the first line of the inscription, which is in Turkish. It seemed clear from this that it was dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The first line as explained by them is as follows:
In Turkish (transliterated into Gurmukhi script):
Jahangir Jama Maji Lat Abd Al Majid Nanak.
In Punjabi meaning:
Master of the chant, the honor of the person, Nanak of the Lord.
(Master of the time, the man of India, Nanak of the Lord)
In English meaning:
Master of time, the inhabitant of India, Nanak of the Lord.
The rest of the long inscription is illegible and still remains to be deciphered.
The monument is dated 1850 AD. It cannot be conclusively established whether this monument belongs to Guru Nanak Dev Ji or someone else named Nanak. There are many unanswered questions. Why would anyone build a monument in Turkey three centuries after Guru Nanak Dev Ji's death? Then, Nanak is not found in Arabic or Turkish!
The platform reference is on page 264 in Giani Gian Singh's book Tawarikh Khalsa published by the Language Department Punjab.
Guru Nanak in SikhiWiki, Turkish dictionaries. References to India may point to Guru Nanak.
Further study of its history shows that the monument was built in the name of Sultan Abd-al-Majid of the Ottoman Empire in 1267 AH (1850 AD). A harbor was established in that area (Kabata) to protect the Sultan's boats from strong winds, and this stone monument was placed there at that time. On the back of the monument, the benefits of the harbor are engraved, and on the front side, facing the Straits of Bosporus, there is a prayer for the Sultan. Could this prayer be connected to Guru Nanak? In Islam, Guru Nanak is often recorded on the Baghdad Stone as a Sufi named 'Baba Nanak', 'Baba Nanak Fakir' and even 'Hazrat Rab Majid Baba Nanak Fakir'.
The Sufi tradition in Turkey is connected to the one in India. Considering this connection, could this monument be somehow related to the Sufi tradition? Until the entire inscription on both sides of the monument is translated, it cannot be said for sure whether this monument is connected to Guru Nanak Dev Ji or not.
However, the second route, via Cairo, Syria, Turkey and then Baghdad, could have been easier. There is evidence that the Guru went from Medina to Cairo (this is supported by Arabic writers and the Guru's platform in Cairo). If a link between the Guru and Turkey is established, then the case for the second route becomes more plausible.
The general opinion is that Guru Nanak Dev Ji went directly from Medina to Baghdad, and took the shortest route.
Journeys:
When I was finding out that if Guru Nanak Ji was on a pilgrimage to the Arab countries from 1500 to 1507, then he should have reached Talwandi by the end of 1503 from the first Udasi, only after that his pilgrimage to the Arab countries could have started! When I was searching for this route, I came across this writing by Dr. Tarlochan Singh Ji, with this route and I also agree with this route because this was the route I had in mind too! So, the basic information about the route has been found, now we need to find out when Guru Nanak Ji returned to Talwandi?
The route may have remained the same or something similar, but I make a slight change in this route, this route turns from Baghdad to Uzbekistan, where Baku Atishgah is located, to that side.
The above new discovery of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's monument can connect Guru Nanak Dev Ji's journey from Mecca to Israel, Palestine, Syria and Turkey and then to Baghdad instead of directly from Mecca to Baghdad as is generally accepted. The generally accepted journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, based entirely on the information given by Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh, has been drawn in solid lines. According to them, Guru Nanak Dev Ji started his journey from Talwandi to Sultanpur to meet his sister before embarking on a long journey.
From Sultanpur he went to Pakpattan (Ajodhan) to renew his old contacts with Sheikh Ibrahim Farid II. From there he went to Multan to meet Baha-ud-din, the descendant and successor of the famous Sheikh Baha-ud-din Zakaria, the founder of the Suhrawardi Sufi order in India. From Multan Guru Nanak Dev Ji proceeded to Uch (Deogarh). Here Guru Nanak Dev Ji met Sheikh Haji Abdullah Bukhari (d. 1526 AD), the successor of Kalal-ud-din Bukhari.
From Uch to Sukkur to Lakhpat (Basta Bandar) probably by boat (in the Indus River?) There is an old Gurdwara here commemorating the journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. From here he walked along the seashore where he visited the old temples of Koteshwar and Narayan Swami at Kuriani. From there he proceeded to Sonmiani (or simply Miyani). Before boarding a boat to Mecca, he visited a Hindu temple in Hinglaj. There is a Nanak Dharamshala in this town.
According to Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh, Guru Nanak Dev Ji boarded a boat that sailed from Sonmiani via the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to Jeddah (Al Aswad), a port near Mecca. They say that after visiting Mecca and Medina, Guru Nanak Dev Ji went to Baghdad in Iraq, then to Tehran and Kabul and finally back (Talwandi) to Kartarpur. They argue that Guru Nanak Dev Ji followed a direct and shorter route to Baghdad than the longer route through Palestine, Syria and Turkey as mentioned in some Janam Sakhis.
However, Dr. Trilochan Singh has stated that there are some indications that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Cairo (Egypt) where during the war Sikh soldiers were shown a place on the outskirts of the town where there was a stone memorial (Captain Bhag Singh, who arranged for its installation). The editor of the Sikh Review was informed about the existence of this memorial when he was in Cairo during the Second World War. Unfortunately he was unable to visit it. Dr. Trilochan Singh has also stated from the work of Sidney Nettleton Fisher that in Egypt or in Istanbul (Turkey) Guru Nanak Dev Ji met the Emperor of Rum Salim (1511-1520 CA). Due to lack of any concrete evidence, Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh further strengthened their views that the shortest route from Baghdad to Mecca was first prepared for the Hajj (pilgrimage) by Zubaida Begum, wife of Caliph Harun Rashid. C. And then during the 14th century Ibn Battuta followed the same route for his journey from Baghdad to Mecca. He has ignored the fact that the route through Palestine, Syria and Turkey and then to Baghdad may be easier than the direct route he proposes.
He has also ignored another fact that while staying in Mecca, Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited the ancient civilization center in Cairo (Egypt) and the Jewish center in Jerusalem (Israel) very close to it and a Sufi center was established by Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya (Turkey), whose philosophy was very popular not only in the Middle East but also in India and now in the West.
Since Guru Nanak Dev Ji has not left any place associated with Sufism, and religious center, therefore, it is quite possible that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited the ancient civilization in Cairo (Egypt), the Jewish center in Jerusalem near Herod's The temple's wailing wall, the Sufi centre started by the Sufis, must have visited. Rumin met the Emperor Selim of Rum in Konya (Turkey) and perhaps Istanbul (Turkey). If the inscription on the newly discovered monument confirms that it is a memorial of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it will confirm that Guru Nanak did not go directly to Baghdad from Mecca but went to Cairo, Jerusalem, Syria and Konya and Istanbul in Turkey before going to Baghdad.
Purpose;
Dr. Trilochan Singh has stated that the Qazis and Hajis addressed Guru Nanak Dev Ji as "Nanak Hindvi" or "Nanak Hind Ki". The first line of the inscription clearly indicates that it is related to Guru Nanak Dev Ji who is called "Hind da Banda, Rab da Nanak". Therefore, it becomes imperative for scholars and Sikhs as a whole to examine the rest of the inscription to find out. Understanding the inscription:
Is this inscription about Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Turkey?
If the inscription is about Guru Nanak, what is the full message?
Is this a monument built in the memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
Some other questions related to this;
The Institute for Understanding Sikhism has undertaken a research project to study the history of this research monument dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji on the following lines:
To transfer the location of the monument and the significance of that site for tourists visiting Istanbul.
To discover the original inscription of that monument and decipher it in English and Punjabi.
To obtain any information regarding Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s journey in Turkey.
To visit various religious places of Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi to find out the possibilities of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s discourse with the religious leaders of that time.
To find evidence of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s meeting with Emperor Salim of Rum in Istanbul.
To negotiate with the Department of Archaeology and the Municipality of Istanbul regarding the future maintenance of this monument and to discuss the possibilities of constructing such monuments with English and Punjabi translations of the original Turkish inscription.
To deliver a lecture on Guru Nanak's travels in India and the Middle East to the faculty and students of the Department of Archaeology of Ankara University.
To research the return route taken by Guru Nanak Dev Ji after visiting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
To publish a report on the results of the research carried out with special reference to the discovery of this monument and then to write a book, Travels of Guru Nanak.
Approach;
I am already in contact with Mr. Tugrul Biltekin, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Ottawa, Canada. He is willing to help me research this project and to allow me to consult the relevant documents at the Department of Archaeology in Ankara and its branch in Istanbul and the Municipality of Istanbul. They will also arrange meetings with religious leaders of the Sufi shrine of Rumi in Konya, Turkey, to explore the possibility of Guru Nanak Dev Ji visiting this site.
Achievements
Deciphering the entire inscription on this newly discovered monument will confirm Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Turkey.
Confirmation of the monument's connection to Guru Nanak Dev Ji will further strengthen the possibilities of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Cairo (Egypt), Jerusalem (Israel), Syria, Lebanon and Turkey (dotted lines), covering the entire Middle East. Mecca, Baghdad, Tehran and Kabul (solid lines) have already been confirmed.
The monument's location in a public park on the banks of the Bosphorus Straits on the European continent towards Istanbul, Turkey, adds to its importance to tourists from around the world.
The above achievements, upon completion of this research project, are going to prove the journey of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to the end of the Middle East (Turkey) and the beginning of Europe (Istanbul) and the establishment of a new Gurdwara (a place or structure). Importance or centrality in Sikh history and as a memorial to Guru Nanak Dev Ji) - - a matter of pride for every Sikh.
Future Plans
The original monument is to be preserved with its damaged inscription. A similar monument is to be built with the original inscription, which can be clearly read. Still another such monument is to be built with a translation of the original inscription in Punjabi on one side and in English on the other. It will become a historic pilgrimage for Sikhs in Istanbul on the shores of the Bosphorus on the European continent where the West meets the East. The role of UNESCO in preserving this monument as a World Heritage Site will be known after understanding the inscription of the newly discovered monument of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to Dr. Avtar Singh Dhaliwal, Sarjit Singh Sidhu, Balbir Singh, Baldev Singh, Teja Singh, Kulbir Singh Thind and Dr. (Mrs.) Khushdev Thind for their helpful suggestions to improve its presentation. Special thanks to my son Dr. Parminder Singh Chahal for preparing the figures.
Updated (5 January 2007)
File: Istanbullcapture.JPG
A Muslim preacher named Zakir Naik had said in a program that Guru Nanak neither went to Mecca nor visited Mecca, which can never happen?
In Sikhism, Bhai Gurdas Ji is highly respected, he is blessed with the privilege of writing the Bir of the Adi Granth! He was the maternal uncle of the fifth Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji! He wrote his Vars, which are called the key to Gurbani!
Bhai Gurdas Ji has given evidence of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's visit to Mecca in his Vars, whatever happened there, he recorded all these events in sequence, yet Muslims could not recover from a religious disease, they see their religion above all! We have authentic writings of Muslim writers of that time which were found at the University of Medina and Principal Prithvipal Singh Ji, who was previously a Muslim (Mushtaq Hussain), copied them! From these we get the valuable information that tells us that Guru Nanak Ji himself was Nirankar, who could stop him from going to Mecca?
Muslims consider many of them as prophets, but if someone asks them what are the conditions for being a prophet or a prophet? And then see whether the true king Guru Nanak Ji is above that status or not? Does he fulfill these conditions of theirs, then the answer will be "Yes"!
This Mecca has already moved from its place three times before Guru Nanak Ji's visit, of which we also have written evidence, whether the Muslims tell it or not?
Hazrat Ibn writes in his book Fatuhat Makih that he saw that the Kaaba was coming towards him to bury him when he had some thoughts of blasphemy in his mind while performing Hajj (Israr Shariat, Part-2, Page 74).
Rabia, once, while going for Hajj again, was passing through a forest when she saw the Kaaba coming towards her to welcome her! Rabia said, 'I was sure that I had hoped to see God, what should I do with the house of God? If He (God) had moved towards me even by a hand span, I would have moved many yards, what should I do with the Kaaba?' Hazrat Ibrahim Azam went to Mecca, he was very surprised when he saw that the Kaaba was not in its place? He rubbed his eyes to see if there was any movement anywhere? But no, the Kaaba was not there! At that moment, he heard a divine voice saying, 'There is no confusion in your eyes, the Kaaba has gone to welcome a woman who is tired of walking who has come for Hajj'! (Tajkiratul Awliya, page 62).
This Sakhi is written for the information of Sikhs that without going to the words of others, have full faith only in your Guru and Sakhi, tell this truth to your children so that they too remain connected to Sikhism and have faith in Guru Nanak, the true king!
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!!
Your servant:
Ajmer Singh Randhawa
