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Travels of Guru Nanak: A Brief
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<blockquote data-quote="dalvinder45" data-source="post: 225144" data-attributes="member: 26009"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>BANGLADESH</strong></p><p>[ATTACH=full]22415[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong> Map 18.1. Guru Nanak travels through Bangla Desh</strong></p><p></p><p>From Maqsoodabad he took a turn eastwards and reached Sonar village. This village is 15 miles (21 km.) towards north of Dhaka (now in Bangladesh). Guru Nanak did not go to Sonar’ village and instead turned towards south to reach Dhaka.Here was an ancient pilgrim centre, the temple of Dhakeshwari goddess on whose name the town was named. During those days Dhaka was famous only for the temple of goddess Dhakeshwari those days. It became the capital town of the region in 1608.Dhaka was situated on the bank of the Bohi Ganga which was then an important tributary of the Padma river.Guru Nanak halted on the northern side of Dhaka at a site which is these days called the Reyar Bazar. There lived the potters, as they do the same business even these days.The tradition of Guru Nanak’s visit to this place still survives among these people. A well of Guru Nanak’s days is still extant. It is said that the Guru dug up the earth here with his wooden stick to make this well. Before the partition of India in 1947, a fair used to be held here every year in the month of Chet.</p><p></p><p><strong>Dhaka</strong></p><p></p><p>Dhaka, also spelled Dacca city is now the capital of Bangladesh. Dhaka’s name is said to refer to the dhak tree, once common in the area, or to Dhakeshwari (The Hidden Goddess), whose shrine is located in the western part of the city. It is located just north of the Buriganga River, a channel of the Dhaleswari River, in the south-central part of the country. Dhaka is Bangladesh’s most populous city and is one of the largest metropolises in South Asia. 9,672,763; (2011) The area around Dhaka consists of a level plain bounded by the Meghna, Padma (Ganga), and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers. The plain is crossed by a network of streams and rivers, the chief being the Dhaleswari, Buriganga, and Sitalakhya.[18.1]Dacca was not yet developed in to a city; it was only a seat of Thanedar then surrounded by insiginificant villages. In all there were 52 bazars; most famous being the Bengala bazar and Dakeshwri bazar built around the most famous Dhakeshwri temple of the area. The name became famous as Dhaka Bangla from the combination of two names [18.2] The city did not rise to prominence until the 17th century, when it served as the capital of the Muslim Mughal dynasty of Bengal province (1608–39 and 1660–1704). [18.3]</p><p></p><p>Guru Nanak travelled from Murshidabad to Krishan Nagar (Nadia)in West bengal. From Krishannagar he entered East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and passed through Faridpur district Shahzadpur, Shiraz Ganj, Kas Ganj and Navdeep next where he is likely to have met Chaitanya.[18.4] He also visited Siddh saint Ram Dass. He went to Manak Ganj and Devipur and reached Dhaka (Bengal) on 6 Maghar Samvat 1564.[18.5]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]22416[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong> Photo 18.1.</strong> <strong>Gudwara Nanak Shahi Dhaka</strong></p><p></p><p>Janamsakhi records the visit to Dhaka Bangala [18.6] Guru Nanak travelled by boat. To visit this he landed at the northern most ghat at Rayer Bazar. Guru Nanak might have visited the most famous temple of the area i.e., Dhakeshwri temple.[18.7] Rayer Bazar was known as Sibpur village in the times of Guru Nanak where potter class dominated.….A Well known as Guru ka Khuh, half hidden in the bramble growth commemorated his visit to the area. There was a local tradition that Guru Nanak drank from the well. Guru Nanak used his stick to get water from the ground. The Gurdwara in Rayer Bazar was known as Sikhar Mandir. [18.8]</p><p></p><p>The holy shrine where Guru Nanak had a public well dug and a dharamsala built came to be known as Rayer Bazar Gurdwara as indicated in Burt’s [18.9] and Hassan’s [18.10] works. It now stands wholly obliterated. It was around 1960 that the East Pakistan authorities demolished the building, leveled the well (known and revered as Guru Nanak’s well) and the land attached to it, carved out plots, auctioned for house building. On that site now stands modern bungalows, and the locality, called Dhan Mandi, is now the leading posh colony of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. On the other hand, Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, still stands at its original site, in the heart of the city adjacent to the Dhaka University. However, it has been deprived of its vast estate, mostly encroached upon by authorities. It has been renovated by means of a grant by the Indian High Commission and generous donations received from Sikh devotees of Calcutta, Bangkok, Singapore & the Far East. The second existing shrine, Gurdwara Sangat Tola, is located in the Bangla Bazar. Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed here on his way to Assam. It is in a highly dilapidated condition and requires immediate repairs and renovation. Its housing complex, worth crores of rupees, is under unauthorised occupation. [18.11] [18.12]</p><p></p><p>Some Sikh chronicals mention that it was a spear (barchha) with which he dug the earth, hence the place was known as Barchha Sahib. Bengal had salty water due to closeness of sea and rivers. Guru Nanak took out water from the earth with the help of a spear (Barchha). A gurdwara was later constructed at the place and was known as Barchha Sahib. Nathe Shah Udasi propagated Sikhism in this area. Water of Baoli was being used by the locals during the visit of Gyani Gian Singh. [18.13] [18.14]The name of the place given variedly as Jafrabad and Dhanpur and even the episode of Noorshah is linked to this place.[18.11]</p><p></p><p>Kalar Village, Manji Sahib: According to Gyani Gian Singh a woman hypnotized Mardana and tied him up. Guru Nanak got him released from the woman known as Noorshah. Guru Nanak made them the understand the importance of attachment to God and sand the hymn: “Galee asi changian aachari buriah. manhu kusudha kalian bahron chitviahn.) [18.15]The evidence however does not support this and mentions that Noor Shah belonged toa hill tribe of Dhubri in Kamrup part of Assam which is explained later.</p><p></p><p>Reaching Dhaka, Guru Nanak sang: “Man kunchar kaia udiane. Gur ankas sach sabd nisane”[18.16]: in accompaniment of Mardana on rebec. People were mesmerised at the wording of the song and the music. They flocked in large numbers to listen to the Guru: many became his followers. A sangat was set up at Dhaka. Word went across the area about Guru’s greatness. Famous saints of the area e.g., Smal Nath, Rewa Das, Chander Nath, Narain Das, Sheikh Ahmed, Nathe Shah, Loonia Siddh etc., paid their obeissance to the Guru and held discussions with him. Some of them tried to show their magical and spiritual powers but were subdued having seen the greatness of the Guru and the truth in hymns. Hindus in the area worshipped Dhakeshwri, Kamkhya, Bhairon, Nar Singh, Birs and Muslim bowed before tombs. Guru Ji delivered daily discourses to the sangat exposing the fallacy of worshipping the idols and the dead. They started worshipping One God, recited his Name regularly and stopped idol and tomb worship. [18.13]</p><p></p><p>There were 52 Akharas and 12 Sangats in Bengal during British period. [18.17] The only Sikh Sangat which retained its old feature is the one behind in University of Dacca. [18.18] This sangat was situated on the right side of the road going from the Ramana Race Course towards Nilkhet ….….. It was Almast who set up this sangat. Third in succession to Almast was Nathi Shah after whose name the sangat was known among the Sikhs. [18.18] It was known as 'Sujatpur Sikh Sangat', as it was situated in then Sujatpur mouza. Almast was sent by Baba Gurdita son of the sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind Singh (1595-1644), during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. Some others believe that it was built by the Ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur (1621-75), and that from here communication was maintained with other Sikh Gurdwaras in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. When Guru Tegh Bahadur was at Dacca during the late 1660s, Bhai Nattha was the Udasi Mahant and Baba Bulaki Das the Guru's masand here. Bhaī Nattha is said to have constructed the Gurdwara building, with a square sanctum, which still exists. It was repaired by Mahant Prem Das in 1833. From 1915 to 1947, Sri Chandrajyoti served as the granthi. On the eve of the Partition, possession and priesthood was the subject of court cases between Baba Tribeni Das and another claimant Gobind Das and later between Tribeni Das and one Manik Lal. Ultimately Tribeni Das was adjudged the lawful guardian of the Gurdwara, but in the wake of the Partition, he left for India never to return. None except a lone brave Sikh, Bhai Swaran Singh, the last Granthi of the Nanak Shahi Gurdwara, remained there to look after them. In 1960-61, the East Pakistan Government passed an order to acquire 1.40 acres of the 1.63 acres of walled premises of the Gurdwara. Bhai Swaran Singh challenged the government in lower courts and ultimately in Dacca High Court. The case was pending there when Indo-Pak War started in December 1971. On or about 14th December 1971, he was shot dead by Pakistani Razakars along with Mohd-ul-Malik Haq, his Muslim friend, during the Pakistan army’s crackdown in 1971. Their bodies were buried side by side in the later's house.[18.19] The place suffered neglect thereafter.</p><p></p><p>After the conclusion of the war three days later, a Sikh deputation was sent from Takht Sri Patna Sahib to Dacca. With the help of Sikh soldiers the members of the deputation led by Captain Bhag Singh of Calcutta recovered possession of the Gurdwara, cleaned it and held a congregation in it on 2nd January, 1972. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was installed again at the shrine. Even Sayyad Nazar-ul-Islam, then acting President of Bangla Desh attended the congregation and gave assurance about the safety and reconstruction of this and the other Gurdwaras.[18.20]A tank and a well, said to have been dug by Bhaī Nattha, however, no longer exist. The Udasi mahants and the Sikh residents, who had been revering and managing them, had to leave East Bengal soon after the establishment of Pakistan.</p><p></p><p>The decorative art work on the interior wall was still intact when a Sikh commission visited it in January 1972 after Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign State. This sangat has been named as Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka which commemorates Guru Nanak’s visit to Dacca in 1506-1507. It was one of the seven most known important historic Gurdwaras in Bangladesh. The new building of the Gurdwara is said to have been built in 1830. It is situated on the campus of the University of Dacca near the arts faculty building on Neelkhet Road, Ramna.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]22417[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]22418[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Photo 18.2. and 18.3. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Nilkhet Road, Ramna Dhaka (near teachers students centre, Dhaka University)</strong></p><p></p><p>The foot ware <em>(kharawa</em>) of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka)</p><p></p><p>There was a handwritten copy of Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka) which was looked after by the lady caretaker cum granthi Mata Kanchan Devi in 1971. During the Pakistan Army crackdown in Bangladesh in 1971, Mata Kanchan Devi wife of Swaran Singh was evacuated to Calcutta, along with the precious and beautiful Bir, where she died at the age of 110 years. The Bir was brought back by Captain Bhag Singh to the Gurdwara. The unique Bir and a water-colour painting of Guru Tegh Bahadur, sandals and other Relics were retrieved from the house.The present building of the Gurdwara was renovated in 1988-1989 and a parkarma verandah has been constructed on all four sides of the original building to protect it from wear and tear. [18.21]</p><p></p><p>The management of the Gurdwara is under a management committee now under the president of a Professor at Dhaka University. Around 10 Sikh Families residing transitorily belong mostly to officers and staff of Indian High Commission and on attachment from UNO and SAARC etc. There are no permanent Sikh residents in this country. Only a Granthi appointed by Takht Patna Sahib looks after the two Gurdwaras in Dhaka, However, kirtan is conducted every Friday from 11 AM to 1 PM, where devotees professing different faiths - Sikh, Hindu and Muslims and others, recite Gurbani Shabads in praise of God, the true Creator. Free weekly langar is regularly served on these days without any distinction of caste or creed. They all assemble here on Fridays and on Guru Nanak Birthdays and Vaisakhi. [18.22]</p><p></p><p>A Sikh Research Centre has been established in gurdwara premises with the efforts of Baba Sukha Singh of Sarhali Punjab India as per a news report of Times of India. In picture Baba ji is seen with VC of Dhaka University and Deputy High Commissioner Dhaka (a lady) who is general secretary of Bangladesh Gurdwaras Board in present times (2010) [18.23]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]22423[/ATTACH]</p><p>18.4. This is the original paintings of Satguru Teg Bahadur Sahib, as painted by a painter of Dacca in 1667, when the Satguru Sahib was in Dacca in his second.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]22419[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]22420[/ATTACH]</p><p>18.5. A handwritten copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]22421[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]22422[/ATTACH]</p><p>18.6. Another photo of the handwritten copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi</p><p>18.7. & 18.8. Two manuscripts writings</p><p></p><p>1. Earliest known Painting of Guru Tegh Bahadur drawn at Dacca; 2 & 3 handwritten manuscripts of Sri Guru Granth sahib in Dacca Gurdwara 4. Sikh priest Piara Singh at Gurdwara Nanakshahi Dacca1.5. VC Dhaka University with Baba Sukha Singh of Sirhali Punjabat the opening of langar & research centre at Gurdwara Nanakshahi</p><p></p><p>As per Times of India report presently 42 students were studying it, he said, adding that they were also planning to arrange a tour of religious places in Indian for these students. Many Hindu and Muslim followers of Sikhism regularly hold religious functions at the Gurdwara. Every Friday, more than 500 Hindus and a few Muslims gather at the Gurdwara to hold religious prayers, followed by langar. The Sampardaya has also made a large langar hall in the Gurdwara besides a sarai having seven rooms. The kar sewa being carried out with financial help from followers of Sampardaya spread across the world. It has now begun ‘kar sewa’ of Gurdwara Punjabi Lane in Chittagong, about 250 km from Dhaka, he stated.[18.23]</p><p></p><p>There are two hand-written Birs (Recessions) of Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara, one of 18 x 12 inches with 1336 pages. Each page is decorated with art work on borders in seven different colours. The significance of this Bir lies in being a Relic rather than Granth Sahib per se. It weighs about 80 lbs and the leaves may wear out if used for reading. Accordingly, it has recently been rebound and placed in a glass case, along with other manuscripts, Photostat copies of some Hukam Namas (Original Hukam Namas were reported to be stolen), and a pair of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s wooden Kharavan (sandals) handed down from generation to generation are also kept in the show case. The last custodian being Mata Kanchan Devi, locally called Sikher Mata, or mother of the Sikhs. Devotees can view a document issued under Imperial (Aurangzeb) Farman by the then Mughal Governor, Shaista Khan, granting land to Guru Nanak Home exempted from taxes in perpetuity. [5] An oil painting, copy of the original painting of the Guru, is kept in Nanak Shahi Gurdwara. The original water colour painting was retrieved from the house which later came to known as Gurdwara Sangat Tola. His mother, a devout lady wanted to have a portrait of the Guru made, before the Guru returned to Punjab. The old lady engaged a renowned painter, Ahsan by name. The painter painted the body and the apparel but could not give finishing touches to the radiant face of the Guru. Seeing the painter in a predicament, the Guru took the brush in his own hand, corrected and completed the picture, and handed it to the lady. It is thus stated in Mehma Prakash, one of the oldest biographies of the Guru:-</p><p></p><p>"bada likhari leai mai satguru hazur tasvir likhai sagal ang bastr subh likha mukh kamal Prabhu nahin likh saka dekh Dial kalam hath lina nij hath sudhar sampuran kina tab mai ko murat Prabh dina".</p><p></p><p>This painting is now believed to be in custody of the Victoria Museum Calcutta, where it was taken to be restored in its torn portion and for preservation treatment, by Late Captain Bhag Singh. [24]</p><p></p><p>Guru Tegh Bahadur also visited Dhaka and stayed at a place which later came to be known as Gurdwara Sangat Tola situated in old Dhaka. It was especially built by Bhai Bulaki, the Cardinal of Sikh church in old Dhaka, which remained the abode of Guru Tegh Bahadur for about two years. The news of the birth of his only son Sri Gobind Rai - Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj – in Patna is stated to have received by Guru Tegh Bahadur when he was sojourning in Dhaka while Sakhian mentions the place of news to be Dhubri. The quarter in which the Sikh sangat (Gurdwara) is situated is called after it Sangat Tola…commemorating memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s visit.[18.24]</p><p></p><p>There are also about eight or nine smaller gurdwaras in different parts of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Gurdwara Management Committee runs the affairs of these gurdwaras with financial support from the devotees, foreign visitors, donors and grants from the Bangladesh Government. [Sambaru Chandra Mohant’s statement]</p><p></p><p>Only six gurdwaras remained in East Bengal (Bangla Desh) in 1970. Three were in the city of Dacca, one in Chittagong and one in Mymensingh. The most important of them was the Gurdwara at Rayer Bazar Dacca, built to commemorate Guru Nanak’s visit. In Janamsakhi Bhai Bala, it is mentioned as Dhan Mandi. It was a protected temple (under the Ancient Monument Protection Act) in the British Period. After the partition of India, there being no granth tresspassers occupied it and converted it into their house. [18.24]</p><p></p><p>As regards the relics, only one out of the five old, handwritten and dated recessions of Guru Granth Sahib, noticed and described by Sardar G.B. Singh in 1945 and Captain Bhag Singh in 1971, is now extant. That too is in a highly dilapidated condition and the page expected to bear its date is washed out.</p><p></p><p>The only other extant relic is a pair of Kharavan (wooden sandals) placed on a chauki (a low wooden stool), used by Guru Tegh Bahadur and bestowed upon Bulaki Ram on the eve of his departure for Assam. The original painting of the Guru, drawn by a contemporary painter of Shaista Khan’s court, is also missing and its beautiful colour copy stands exhibited alongwith the above holy items in the said Gurdwara Nanak Shahi.</p><p></p><p>The two hukumnamas (edicts) of Guru Gobind Singh, addressed to the Dhaka Sangat, found in Gurdwara Sangat Tola at the time of the surrender of Pakistani Army to General Jagjit Singh Arora, are no longer available there.</p><p></p><p>In order to preserve all that which is now extant, to retrieve all that which has been usurped, or is occupied without authorisation and to re-establish the desecrated and obliterated one, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar should take immediate necessary steps with due permission and help of the Bangladesh Government and in collaboration with the Sikh organisations of West Bengal and the neighbouring countries (such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan) as well as of the NRIs of the UK and USA, etc. under the kind advice of the Indian High commission in Bangladesh.</p><p></p><p>At present only a non-official committee, called the Bangladesh Gurdwara Management Board, Calcutta, is engaged in make-shift arrangements for gurdwara’s upkeep under very peculiar circumstances.</p><p></p><p>In the past it had an entrance from the north, a ditch and burial ground on the south, and a pond on the west with concrete steps to the water. Apart from the main temple there were a number of rooms for accommodating devotees. In all, there were nine rooms. On the north-east of the main temple there was an office and on the east the granthi (priest) had his residence.</p><p></p><p>The gurdwara is open to all, irrespective of race, religion, caste or sex. The place of prayer is known as 'darbar sahib' and has entrances on all sides, unlike other places of worship. At the northern end of the prayer hall a copy of the holy book of the Sikhs, the granth shahib, is kept on a wooden platform. A pair of wooden sandals, believed to belong to Guru Teg Bahadur Singh, has been preserved in a glass box just under Sri Guru Granth Sahib.</p><p></p><p>The daily religious rites at the gurdwara include reading from the Granth Sahib and recital of prayers.. The chief granthi reads from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. kirtan and prayers continue for over two hoursculminating into freel langar. There are also arrangements to distribute food in the morning. Sikhs regard this as a way of enhancing understanding among people. Social functions such as Baishakhi are celebrated. Suitable accommodation is available for visitors.</p><p></p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p></p><p>[18.1] <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka" target="_blank">Dhaka | River, History, Definition, Map, & Facts</a></p><p>[18.2] G.B. Singh, Sikh Relics in East Bengal</p><p>[18.3] <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka" target="_blank">Dhaka | River, History, Definition, Map, & Facts</a></p><p>[18.4] Surinder Singh Kohli, Dr. 1969, Travels of Guru Nanak, Chandigarh, Punjab University, 3rd edition 1997, pp. 40-41</p><p>[18.5] Gyani Gian Singh, Twareekh Guru Khalsa, Part I, Patiala, Bhasha Vibhag, p.15</p><p>[18.6]Surinder Singh Kohli, edited, 1975, Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala, Chandigarh, Punjab University, 2nd edition 1990, p.151</p><p>[18.7] Surinder Singh Kohli, Travels of Guru Nanak, p.41</p><p>[18.8] Arjan Singh Mann, Dr. 1959, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Assam Pradesh, New Delhi, Sikh Publishing House, p.152</p><p>[18.9] Extract from the Romance of an Eastern Capital by F.B. Bradley-Birt, London, 1906 Beyond the Idgah, further away from the city lay another centre of interest, the memories of which have long since grown vague and dim. Out in the waste, half hidden in the bramble growth, a well and a broken arch are the only visible signs of the Sikh monastery that once flourished here. The well is known as Guru Nanak’s well, after Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion. There is a local tradition that the great teacher once visited Dacca and drank from this well, to the waters of which miraculous properties have ever since been attributed. Another and more possible story is that it was Guru Tegh Bahadur the ninth Guru, who came to Dacca in the time of Aurangzeb and gathered about him a large following, which has never quite died out in the city. Close by the race course there is a Sikh temple where the Sikhs still meet and worship. (pp. 271-72)</p><p>[18.10] Extract from Notes on the Antiquities of by Sayad Aulad Kasam, Dacca, 1904 ‘Some three hundred yards to the east of Dara Beghum’s mausoleum there is a large, deep masonry well, known as Guru Nanak’s well after Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. Tradition says that during his visit to Dacca, the Guru once drank the water of this well. Since then the water is supposed to possess the property of healing diseases……There was a Sikh monastery close by. One arch of it is alone is standing now’. (p.33)</p><p>A report by Prof. Harnam Singh Shan (Sikh Review April 2003) Prof. Harnam Singh Shan, former Chairman of Guru Nanak Chair and Head of Panjabi and Sikh Studies at Panjab University, Chandigarh, participated in the 17th Conference of the International Association of Historians of Asia. After the Conference, Prof. Shan paid obeisance at the historic Sikh shrines, and had a look at the relics associated with Guru Nanak (1504 A.D.) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (1666 A.D.). These shrines have remained neglected ever since the Partition of India in 1947, because access to these had been denied to the Sikhs during the Pakistani regime.</p><p>[18.11] Arjan Singh Mann, Dr. 1959, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Assam Pradesh, New Delhi, Sikh Publishing House, p.152</p><p>[18.12] Dacca gazetteer edited by B.C. Allen, published 1912 A.D. ; “The sangat at Sangattola close to Shtrapur is now the chief place of worship but some Sikhs still visit the ruins at Jafrabad where there is a well whose waters are thought to have curative powers.”</p><p>[18.13] Gyani Gian Singh, Twareekh Guru Khalsa,p.16-17</p><p>[18.14] Gurmukh Singh, September 1995, Sikh Shrines, Amritsar, Singh Bros, p.75-77</p><p>[18.15] Gyani Gian Singh, 1997, Gurdham Sangreh, Sri Amritsar, Dharam Parchar Committee SGPC, 15 Dec p.40</p><p>[18.16] Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p.221.</p><p>[18.17] Extract from Telegraph of Dacca 1838, Vol II by James Taylor Calcutta, p.243: “The Hindu places of worship in the city are 52 Akharas, 55 Kali Barrees and 12 Sanghuts. The Brahmins attached to the temple of Daccaeserry Doora, were 18 in number and those who perform Jujmanee ceremonies amounted to 345 in the year 1838.</p><p>[18.18] Extract from Dacca: A Record of Its Changing Fortunes, by Ahmad Hasan Dani, PhD Dacca 1962, pp. 171-72)</p><p>[18.19] http//Allabout sikhs.com/world-gurdwara/gurdwara-nanak-shahi-dacca/view. html ,</p><p>[18.20] http//www.tribuneindia.com/2003/200130105/cth1.htm34</p><p>[18.21] Pamphlet Gurdwaras of Bangla Desh Gurdwara Management committee, Patna Sahib</p><p>[18.22] Extract from letter dated 5.6.1970 from Sh J.M. Chatterjee, Akal-Niwas Sarojini Pally, P.O. Barasat, West Bengal addressing President Sri Guru Singh Sabha Calcutta; copy with Giani Gurbachan Singh, Manager Takhat Harmandar Sahib Patna.</p><p>[18.23] Sayid Aulad Kasam (p.36) <a href="http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Nanak_Shahi,_Dhaka" target="_blank">Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.</a></p><p>[18.24] A report by Prof. Harnam Singh Shan (Sikh Review April 2003) ref 9</p><p></p><p><strong>External Links</strong></p><p></p><p>1. <a href="http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Nanak_Shahi,_Dhaka" target="_blank">Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.</a></p><p>2. Sikhreview.org, Sikh Review, Calcutta</p><p>3. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi: A spiritual refuge</p><p>4. Allaboutsikhs.com</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="dalvinder45, post: 225144, member: 26009"] [CENTER][B]BANGLADESH[/B][/CENTER] [ATTACH type="full" alt="1707059036381.png"]22415[/ATTACH] [B] Map 18.1. Guru Nanak travels through Bangla Desh[/B] From Maqsoodabad he took a turn eastwards and reached Sonar village. This village is 15 miles (21 km.) towards north of Dhaka (now in Bangladesh). Guru Nanak did not go to Sonar’ village and instead turned towards south to reach Dhaka.Here was an ancient pilgrim centre, the temple of Dhakeshwari goddess on whose name the town was named. During those days Dhaka was famous only for the temple of goddess Dhakeshwari those days. It became the capital town of the region in 1608.Dhaka was situated on the bank of the Bohi Ganga which was then an important tributary of the Padma river.Guru Nanak halted on the northern side of Dhaka at a site which is these days called the Reyar Bazar. There lived the potters, as they do the same business even these days.The tradition of Guru Nanak’s visit to this place still survives among these people. A well of Guru Nanak’s days is still extant. It is said that the Guru dug up the earth here with his wooden stick to make this well. Before the partition of India in 1947, a fair used to be held here every year in the month of Chet. [B]Dhaka[/B] Dhaka, also spelled Dacca city is now the capital of Bangladesh. Dhaka’s name is said to refer to the dhak tree, once common in the area, or to Dhakeshwari (The Hidden Goddess), whose shrine is located in the western part of the city. It is located just north of the Buriganga River, a channel of the Dhaleswari River, in the south-central part of the country. Dhaka is Bangladesh’s most populous city and is one of the largest metropolises in South Asia. 9,672,763; (2011) The area around Dhaka consists of a level plain bounded by the Meghna, Padma (Ganga), and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers. The plain is crossed by a network of streams and rivers, the chief being the Dhaleswari, Buriganga, and Sitalakhya.[18.1]Dacca was not yet developed in to a city; it was only a seat of Thanedar then surrounded by insiginificant villages. In all there were 52 bazars; most famous being the Bengala bazar and Dakeshwri bazar built around the most famous Dhakeshwri temple of the area. The name became famous as Dhaka Bangla from the combination of two names [18.2] The city did not rise to prominence until the 17th century, when it served as the capital of the Muslim Mughal dynasty of Bengal province (1608–39 and 1660–1704). [18.3] Guru Nanak travelled from Murshidabad to Krishan Nagar (Nadia)in West bengal. From Krishannagar he entered East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and passed through Faridpur district Shahzadpur, Shiraz Ganj, Kas Ganj and Navdeep next where he is likely to have met Chaitanya.[18.4] He also visited Siddh saint Ram Dass. He went to Manak Ganj and Devipur and reached Dhaka (Bengal) on 6 Maghar Samvat 1564.[18.5] [ATTACH type="full" alt="1707059086563.png"]22416[/ATTACH] [B] Photo 18.1.[/B] [B]Gudwara Nanak Shahi Dhaka[/B] Janamsakhi records the visit to Dhaka Bangala [18.6] Guru Nanak travelled by boat. To visit this he landed at the northern most ghat at Rayer Bazar. Guru Nanak might have visited the most famous temple of the area i.e., Dhakeshwri temple.[18.7] Rayer Bazar was known as Sibpur village in the times of Guru Nanak where potter class dominated.….A Well known as Guru ka Khuh, half hidden in the bramble growth commemorated his visit to the area. There was a local tradition that Guru Nanak drank from the well. Guru Nanak used his stick to get water from the ground. The Gurdwara in Rayer Bazar was known as Sikhar Mandir. [18.8] The holy shrine where Guru Nanak had a public well dug and a dharamsala built came to be known as Rayer Bazar Gurdwara as indicated in Burt’s [18.9] and Hassan’s [18.10] works. It now stands wholly obliterated. It was around 1960 that the East Pakistan authorities demolished the building, leveled the well (known and revered as Guru Nanak’s well) and the land attached to it, carved out plots, auctioned for house building. On that site now stands modern bungalows, and the locality, called Dhan Mandi, is now the leading posh colony of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. On the other hand, Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, still stands at its original site, in the heart of the city adjacent to the Dhaka University. However, it has been deprived of its vast estate, mostly encroached upon by authorities. It has been renovated by means of a grant by the Indian High Commission and generous donations received from Sikh devotees of Calcutta, Bangkok, Singapore & the Far East. The second existing shrine, Gurdwara Sangat Tola, is located in the Bangla Bazar. Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed here on his way to Assam. It is in a highly dilapidated condition and requires immediate repairs and renovation. Its housing complex, worth crores of rupees, is under unauthorised occupation. [18.11] [18.12] Some Sikh chronicals mention that it was a spear (barchha) with which he dug the earth, hence the place was known as Barchha Sahib. Bengal had salty water due to closeness of sea and rivers. Guru Nanak took out water from the earth with the help of a spear (Barchha). A gurdwara was later constructed at the place and was known as Barchha Sahib. Nathe Shah Udasi propagated Sikhism in this area. Water of Baoli was being used by the locals during the visit of Gyani Gian Singh. [18.13] [18.14]The name of the place given variedly as Jafrabad and Dhanpur and even the episode of Noorshah is linked to this place.[18.11] Kalar Village, Manji Sahib: According to Gyani Gian Singh a woman hypnotized Mardana and tied him up. Guru Nanak got him released from the woman known as Noorshah. Guru Nanak made them the understand the importance of attachment to God and sand the hymn: “Galee asi changian aachari buriah. manhu kusudha kalian bahron chitviahn.) [18.15]The evidence however does not support this and mentions that Noor Shah belonged toa hill tribe of Dhubri in Kamrup part of Assam which is explained later. Reaching Dhaka, Guru Nanak sang: “Man kunchar kaia udiane. Gur ankas sach sabd nisane”[18.16]: in accompaniment of Mardana on rebec. People were mesmerised at the wording of the song and the music. They flocked in large numbers to listen to the Guru: many became his followers. A sangat was set up at Dhaka. Word went across the area about Guru’s greatness. Famous saints of the area e.g., Smal Nath, Rewa Das, Chander Nath, Narain Das, Sheikh Ahmed, Nathe Shah, Loonia Siddh etc., paid their obeissance to the Guru and held discussions with him. Some of them tried to show their magical and spiritual powers but were subdued having seen the greatness of the Guru and the truth in hymns. Hindus in the area worshipped Dhakeshwri, Kamkhya, Bhairon, Nar Singh, Birs and Muslim bowed before tombs. Guru Ji delivered daily discourses to the sangat exposing the fallacy of worshipping the idols and the dead. They started worshipping One God, recited his Name regularly and stopped idol and tomb worship. [18.13] There were 52 Akharas and 12 Sangats in Bengal during British period. [18.17] The only Sikh Sangat which retained its old feature is the one behind in University of Dacca. [18.18] This sangat was situated on the right side of the road going from the Ramana Race Course towards Nilkhet ….….. It was Almast who set up this sangat. Third in succession to Almast was Nathi Shah after whose name the sangat was known among the Sikhs. [18.18] It was known as 'Sujatpur Sikh Sangat', as it was situated in then Sujatpur mouza. Almast was sent by Baba Gurdita son of the sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind Singh (1595-1644), during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. Some others believe that it was built by the Ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur (1621-75), and that from here communication was maintained with other Sikh Gurdwaras in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. When Guru Tegh Bahadur was at Dacca during the late 1660s, Bhai Nattha was the Udasi Mahant and Baba Bulaki Das the Guru's masand here. Bhaī Nattha is said to have constructed the Gurdwara building, with a square sanctum, which still exists. It was repaired by Mahant Prem Das in 1833. From 1915 to 1947, Sri Chandrajyoti served as the granthi. On the eve of the Partition, possession and priesthood was the subject of court cases between Baba Tribeni Das and another claimant Gobind Das and later between Tribeni Das and one Manik Lal. Ultimately Tribeni Das was adjudged the lawful guardian of the Gurdwara, but in the wake of the Partition, he left for India never to return. None except a lone brave Sikh, Bhai Swaran Singh, the last Granthi of the Nanak Shahi Gurdwara, remained there to look after them. In 1960-61, the East Pakistan Government passed an order to acquire 1.40 acres of the 1.63 acres of walled premises of the Gurdwara. Bhai Swaran Singh challenged the government in lower courts and ultimately in Dacca High Court. The case was pending there when Indo-Pak War started in December 1971. On or about 14th December 1971, he was shot dead by Pakistani Razakars along with Mohd-ul-Malik Haq, his Muslim friend, during the Pakistan army’s crackdown in 1971. Their bodies were buried side by side in the later's house.[18.19] The place suffered neglect thereafter. After the conclusion of the war three days later, a Sikh deputation was sent from Takht Sri Patna Sahib to Dacca. With the help of Sikh soldiers the members of the deputation led by Captain Bhag Singh of Calcutta recovered possession of the Gurdwara, cleaned it and held a congregation in it on 2nd January, 1972. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was installed again at the shrine. Even Sayyad Nazar-ul-Islam, then acting President of Bangla Desh attended the congregation and gave assurance about the safety and reconstruction of this and the other Gurdwaras.[18.20]A tank and a well, said to have been dug by Bhaī Nattha, however, no longer exist. The Udasi mahants and the Sikh residents, who had been revering and managing them, had to leave East Bengal soon after the establishment of Pakistan. The decorative art work on the interior wall was still intact when a Sikh commission visited it in January 1972 after Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign State. This sangat has been named as Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka which commemorates Guru Nanak’s visit to Dacca in 1506-1507. It was one of the seven most known important historic Gurdwaras in Bangladesh. The new building of the Gurdwara is said to have been built in 1830. It is situated on the campus of the University of Dacca near the arts faculty building on Neelkhet Road, Ramna. [ATTACH type="full" width="297px" alt="1707059138354.png"]22417[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full" width="298px" alt="1707059162829.png"]22418[/ATTACH] [B]Photo 18.2. and 18.3. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Nilkhet Road, Ramna Dhaka (near teachers students centre, Dhaka University)[/B] The foot ware [I](kharawa[/I]) of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka) There was a handwritten copy of Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka) which was looked after by the lady caretaker cum granthi Mata Kanchan Devi in 1971. During the Pakistan Army crackdown in Bangladesh in 1971, Mata Kanchan Devi wife of Swaran Singh was evacuated to Calcutta, along with the precious and beautiful Bir, where she died at the age of 110 years. The Bir was brought back by Captain Bhag Singh to the Gurdwara. The unique Bir and a water-colour painting of Guru Tegh Bahadur, sandals and other Relics were retrieved from the house.The present building of the Gurdwara was renovated in 1988-1989 and a parkarma verandah has been constructed on all four sides of the original building to protect it from wear and tear. [18.21] The management of the Gurdwara is under a management committee now under the president of a Professor at Dhaka University. Around 10 Sikh Families residing transitorily belong mostly to officers and staff of Indian High Commission and on attachment from UNO and SAARC etc. There are no permanent Sikh residents in this country. Only a Granthi appointed by Takht Patna Sahib looks after the two Gurdwaras in Dhaka, However, kirtan is conducted every Friday from 11 AM to 1 PM, where devotees professing different faiths - Sikh, Hindu and Muslims and others, recite Gurbani Shabads in praise of God, the true Creator. Free weekly langar is regularly served on these days without any distinction of caste or creed. They all assemble here on Fridays and on Guru Nanak Birthdays and Vaisakhi. [18.22] A Sikh Research Centre has been established in gurdwara premises with the efforts of Baba Sukha Singh of Sarhali Punjab India as per a news report of Times of India. In picture Baba ji is seen with VC of Dhaka University and Deputy High Commissioner Dhaka (a lady) who is general secretary of Bangladesh Gurdwaras Board in present times (2010) [18.23] [ATTACH type="full" alt="1707059755193.png"]22423[/ATTACH] 18.4. This is the original paintings of Satguru Teg Bahadur Sahib, as painted by a painter of Dacca in 1667, when the Satguru Sahib was in Dacca in his second. [ATTACH type="full" width="328px" alt="1707059256349.png"]22419[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full" width="316px" alt="1707059271562.png"]22420[/ATTACH] 18.5. A handwritten copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi (Dhaka). [ATTACH type="full" width="336px" alt="1707059318026.png"]22421[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full" width="319px" alt="1707059337843.png"]22422[/ATTACH] 18.6. Another photo of the handwritten copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji at Gurdwara Nanakshashi 18.7. & 18.8. Two manuscripts writings 1. Earliest known Painting of Guru Tegh Bahadur drawn at Dacca; 2 & 3 handwritten manuscripts of Sri Guru Granth sahib in Dacca Gurdwara 4. Sikh priest Piara Singh at Gurdwara Nanakshahi Dacca1.5. VC Dhaka University with Baba Sukha Singh of Sirhali Punjabat the opening of langar & research centre at Gurdwara Nanakshahi As per Times of India report presently 42 students were studying it, he said, adding that they were also planning to arrange a tour of religious places in Indian for these students. Many Hindu and Muslim followers of Sikhism regularly hold religious functions at the Gurdwara. Every Friday, more than 500 Hindus and a few Muslims gather at the Gurdwara to hold religious prayers, followed by langar. The Sampardaya has also made a large langar hall in the Gurdwara besides a sarai having seven rooms. The kar sewa being carried out with financial help from followers of Sampardaya spread across the world. It has now begun ‘kar sewa’ of Gurdwara Punjabi Lane in Chittagong, about 250 km from Dhaka, he stated.[18.23] There are two hand-written Birs (Recessions) of Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara, one of 18 x 12 inches with 1336 pages. Each page is decorated with art work on borders in seven different colours. The significance of this Bir lies in being a Relic rather than Granth Sahib per se. It weighs about 80 lbs and the leaves may wear out if used for reading. Accordingly, it has recently been rebound and placed in a glass case, along with other manuscripts, Photostat copies of some Hukam Namas (Original Hukam Namas were reported to be stolen), and a pair of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s wooden Kharavan (sandals) handed down from generation to generation are also kept in the show case. The last custodian being Mata Kanchan Devi, locally called Sikher Mata, or mother of the Sikhs. Devotees can view a document issued under Imperial (Aurangzeb) Farman by the then Mughal Governor, Shaista Khan, granting land to Guru Nanak Home exempted from taxes in perpetuity. [5] An oil painting, copy of the original painting of the Guru, is kept in Nanak Shahi Gurdwara. The original water colour painting was retrieved from the house which later came to known as Gurdwara Sangat Tola. His mother, a devout lady wanted to have a portrait of the Guru made, before the Guru returned to Punjab. The old lady engaged a renowned painter, Ahsan by name. The painter painted the body and the apparel but could not give finishing touches to the radiant face of the Guru. Seeing the painter in a predicament, the Guru took the brush in his own hand, corrected and completed the picture, and handed it to the lady. It is thus stated in Mehma Prakash, one of the oldest biographies of the Guru:- "bada likhari leai mai satguru hazur tasvir likhai sagal ang bastr subh likha mukh kamal Prabhu nahin likh saka dekh Dial kalam hath lina nij hath sudhar sampuran kina tab mai ko murat Prabh dina". This painting is now believed to be in custody of the Victoria Museum Calcutta, where it was taken to be restored in its torn portion and for preservation treatment, by Late Captain Bhag Singh. [24] Guru Tegh Bahadur also visited Dhaka and stayed at a place which later came to be known as Gurdwara Sangat Tola situated in old Dhaka. It was especially built by Bhai Bulaki, the Cardinal of Sikh church in old Dhaka, which remained the abode of Guru Tegh Bahadur for about two years. The news of the birth of his only son Sri Gobind Rai - Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj – in Patna is stated to have received by Guru Tegh Bahadur when he was sojourning in Dhaka while Sakhian mentions the place of news to be Dhubri. The quarter in which the Sikh sangat (Gurdwara) is situated is called after it Sangat Tola…commemorating memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s visit.[18.24] There are also about eight or nine smaller gurdwaras in different parts of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Gurdwara Management Committee runs the affairs of these gurdwaras with financial support from the devotees, foreign visitors, donors and grants from the Bangladesh Government. [Sambaru Chandra Mohant’s statement] Only six gurdwaras remained in East Bengal (Bangla Desh) in 1970. Three were in the city of Dacca, one in Chittagong and one in Mymensingh. The most important of them was the Gurdwara at Rayer Bazar Dacca, built to commemorate Guru Nanak’s visit. In Janamsakhi Bhai Bala, it is mentioned as Dhan Mandi. It was a protected temple (under the Ancient Monument Protection Act) in the British Period. After the partition of India, there being no granth tresspassers occupied it and converted it into their house. [18.24] As regards the relics, only one out of the five old, handwritten and dated recessions of Guru Granth Sahib, noticed and described by Sardar G.B. Singh in 1945 and Captain Bhag Singh in 1971, is now extant. That too is in a highly dilapidated condition and the page expected to bear its date is washed out. The only other extant relic is a pair of Kharavan (wooden sandals) placed on a chauki (a low wooden stool), used by Guru Tegh Bahadur and bestowed upon Bulaki Ram on the eve of his departure for Assam. The original painting of the Guru, drawn by a contemporary painter of Shaista Khan’s court, is also missing and its beautiful colour copy stands exhibited alongwith the above holy items in the said Gurdwara Nanak Shahi. The two hukumnamas (edicts) of Guru Gobind Singh, addressed to the Dhaka Sangat, found in Gurdwara Sangat Tola at the time of the surrender of Pakistani Army to General Jagjit Singh Arora, are no longer available there. In order to preserve all that which is now extant, to retrieve all that which has been usurped, or is occupied without authorisation and to re-establish the desecrated and obliterated one, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar should take immediate necessary steps with due permission and help of the Bangladesh Government and in collaboration with the Sikh organisations of West Bengal and the neighbouring countries (such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan) as well as of the NRIs of the UK and USA, etc. under the kind advice of the Indian High commission in Bangladesh. At present only a non-official committee, called the Bangladesh Gurdwara Management Board, Calcutta, is engaged in make-shift arrangements for gurdwara’s upkeep under very peculiar circumstances. In the past it had an entrance from the north, a ditch and burial ground on the south, and a pond on the west with concrete steps to the water. Apart from the main temple there were a number of rooms for accommodating devotees. In all, there were nine rooms. On the north-east of the main temple there was an office and on the east the granthi (priest) had his residence. The gurdwara is open to all, irrespective of race, religion, caste or sex. The place of prayer is known as 'darbar sahib' and has entrances on all sides, unlike other places of worship. At the northern end of the prayer hall a copy of the holy book of the Sikhs, the granth shahib, is kept on a wooden platform. A pair of wooden sandals, believed to belong to Guru Teg Bahadur Singh, has been preserved in a glass box just under Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The daily religious rites at the gurdwara include reading from the Granth Sahib and recital of prayers.. The chief granthi reads from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. kirtan and prayers continue for over two hoursculminating into freel langar. There are also arrangements to distribute food in the morning. Sikhs regard this as a way of enhancing understanding among people. Social functions such as Baishakhi are celebrated. Suitable accommodation is available for visitors. [B]References[/B] [18.1] [URL='http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka']Dhaka | River, History, Definition, Map, & Facts[/URL] [18.2] G.B. Singh, Sikh Relics in East Bengal [18.3] [URL='http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka']Dhaka | River, History, Definition, Map, & Facts[/URL] [18.4] Surinder Singh Kohli, Dr. 1969, Travels of Guru Nanak, Chandigarh, Punjab University, 3rd edition 1997, pp. 40-41 [18.5] Gyani Gian Singh, Twareekh Guru Khalsa, Part I, Patiala, Bhasha Vibhag, p.15 [18.6]Surinder Singh Kohli, edited, 1975, Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala, Chandigarh, Punjab University, 2nd edition 1990, p.151 [18.7] Surinder Singh Kohli, Travels of Guru Nanak, p.41 [18.8] Arjan Singh Mann, Dr. 1959, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Assam Pradesh, New Delhi, Sikh Publishing House, p.152 [18.9] Extract from the Romance of an Eastern Capital by F.B. Bradley-Birt, London, 1906 Beyond the Idgah, further away from the city lay another centre of interest, the memories of which have long since grown vague and dim. Out in the waste, half hidden in the bramble growth, a well and a broken arch are the only visible signs of the Sikh monastery that once flourished here. The well is known as Guru Nanak’s well, after Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion. There is a local tradition that the great teacher once visited Dacca and drank from this well, to the waters of which miraculous properties have ever since been attributed. Another and more possible story is that it was Guru Tegh Bahadur the ninth Guru, who came to Dacca in the time of Aurangzeb and gathered about him a large following, which has never quite died out in the city. Close by the race course there is a Sikh temple where the Sikhs still meet and worship. (pp. 271-72) [18.10] Extract from Notes on the Antiquities of by Sayad Aulad Kasam, Dacca, 1904 ‘Some three hundred yards to the east of Dara Beghum’s mausoleum there is a large, deep masonry well, known as Guru Nanak’s well after Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. Tradition says that during his visit to Dacca, the Guru once drank the water of this well. Since then the water is supposed to possess the property of healing diseases……There was a Sikh monastery close by. One arch of it is alone is standing now’. (p.33) A report by Prof. Harnam Singh Shan (Sikh Review April 2003) Prof. Harnam Singh Shan, former Chairman of Guru Nanak Chair and Head of Panjabi and Sikh Studies at Panjab University, Chandigarh, participated in the 17th Conference of the International Association of Historians of Asia. After the Conference, Prof. Shan paid obeisance at the historic Sikh shrines, and had a look at the relics associated with Guru Nanak (1504 A.D.) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (1666 A.D.). These shrines have remained neglected ever since the Partition of India in 1947, because access to these had been denied to the Sikhs during the Pakistani regime. [18.11] Arjan Singh Mann, Dr. 1959, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Assam Pradesh, New Delhi, Sikh Publishing House, p.152 [18.12] Dacca gazetteer edited by B.C. Allen, published 1912 A.D. ; “The sangat at Sangattola close to Shtrapur is now the chief place of worship but some Sikhs still visit the ruins at Jafrabad where there is a well whose waters are thought to have curative powers.” [18.13] Gyani Gian Singh, Twareekh Guru Khalsa,p.16-17 [18.14] Gurmukh Singh, September 1995, Sikh Shrines, Amritsar, Singh Bros, p.75-77 [18.15] Gyani Gian Singh, 1997, Gurdham Sangreh, Sri Amritsar, Dharam Parchar Committee SGPC, 15 Dec p.40 [18.16] Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p.221. [18.17] Extract from Telegraph of Dacca 1838, Vol II by James Taylor Calcutta, p.243: “The Hindu places of worship in the city are 52 Akharas, 55 Kali Barrees and 12 Sanghuts. The Brahmins attached to the temple of Daccaeserry Doora, were 18 in number and those who perform Jujmanee ceremonies amounted to 345 in the year 1838. [18.18] Extract from Dacca: A Record of Its Changing Fortunes, by Ahmad Hasan Dani, PhD Dacca 1962, pp. 171-72) [18.19] http//Allabout sikhs.com/world-gurdwara/gurdwara-nanak-shahi-dacca/view. html , [18.20] http//www.tribuneindia.com/2003/200130105/cth1.htm34 [18.21] Pamphlet Gurdwaras of Bangla Desh Gurdwara Management committee, Patna Sahib [18.22] Extract from letter dated 5.6.1970 from Sh J.M. Chatterjee, Akal-Niwas Sarojini Pally, P.O. Barasat, West Bengal addressing President Sri Guru Singh Sabha Calcutta; copy with Giani Gurbachan Singh, Manager Takhat Harmandar Sahib Patna. [18.23] Sayid Aulad Kasam (p.36) [URL='http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Nanak_Shahi,_Dhaka']Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.[/URL] [18.24] A report by Prof. Harnam Singh Shan (Sikh Review April 2003) ref 9 [B]External Links[/B] 1. [URL='http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Nanak_Shahi,_Dhaka']Gurdwara Nanak Shahi, Dhaka - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.[/URL] 2. Sikhreview.org, Sikh Review, Calcutta 3. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi: A spiritual refuge 4. Allaboutsikhs.com [/QUOTE]
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Travels of Guru Nanak: A Brief
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