GURUDWARA SHRI BANGLA SAHIB is situated in the Delhi City. Built in the sacred visit of SHRI GURU HARKARISHAN JI to delhi. At the request of Mughal King Aurangzeb and through the persuation of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber, GURU JI agreed to come to delhi. Raja Jai Singh invited GURU JI to the present site which originally belonged to Raja Jai Singh. Rajas wife thought of testing the spiritual powers of the GURU and disguised herself as maid servant and sat among the attendants. GURU SAHIB at the age of 8 years identified the RANI and sat in her lap. Thus convincing her of the the spiritual powers of GURU NANAK and his True Desciples. In those days small pox was raging in the city of Delhi on an epidemic form. The citizens of delhi suffred grief and death As a result of clamity that had befallen there. GURU JI out of love and compassion for suffering humanity dipped his holy feet in water and poured charan amrit into small chaubacha (tank). All those who took water from caubacha were cured from the disease. Thus the people of delhi were saved from that epidemic. Devotees with faith and devotion come from far and near and get rid of suffering by taking a dip in the holy water. .
Brief History
A magnificent and spacious bungalow in Delhi owned by Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur) who commanded great respect and honour in the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb now enjoys the status of a holy shrine called Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The eighth Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a few months as a guest of Raja Jai Singh. Since then it has become a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. They come to pay their respects to the memory of Guru Harkrishan who, nominated as successor by the seventh Guru Sri Har Rai, was summoned to Delhi by Emperor Aurangzeb in a furtive attempt by his older brother Baba Ram Rai to grab the Gurugadi. Earlier Baba Ram Rai had disgraced himself by giving a false translation of Bani to appease the Emperor. For this he had been disowned by his father and rewarded by Aurangzeb.
Learning that Har Krishan had been appointed the spiritual head of the Sikhs, Baba Ram Rai became very perturbed. He tried in vain to influence the leading Sikhs of Delhi and Punjab. Later he approached Emperor Aurangzeb, who had befriended him, to help him acquire the Gurugadi. Consequently, Aurangzeb agreed to summon Guru Harkrishan to see whether he was really superior and more spiritual than Ram Rai.
Fortunately both Raja Jai Singh and his son Raja Ram Singh were in Delhi at that time. When approached by Sikhs for help, they agreed to assist them in their predicament.
The Rajput chief took over the responsibility of persuading Guru Harkrishan to come to Delhi and also gained assurance from the Emperor that as long as he (the Emperor) was not satisfied about the succession issue, Guru Harkrishan Sahib could stay with Jai Singh and his son in his bungalow as a guest.
During Guru Harkrishan's stay in Delhi there was a terrible epidemic of cholera and smallpox. Rather than staying in the safety of Jai Singh's home the Guru spent most of his time in serving the humble, the sick and the destitute. He distributed medicines, food and clothes to the needy. He also directed Diwan Dargah Mal to spend all of the daily offerings made by the people to the Guru on the poor. The Guru won more admirers. Soon stories about his healing powers spread throughout the city. Contracting smallpox himself the young Guru, only a little over five years old, passed away on October 6, 1661. He had been tried and tested as a perfect fearless and fully illuminated soul.
A small tank was constructed by Raja Jai Singh over the bungalow's well. Today, the faithful continue to come to the well and take its water home, as amrit, to cure their ailments. The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee runs a hospital in the basement of the Gurudwara building and the Khalsa Girls School is located in the adjoining building. A tank 225 x 235 ft with 18 ft wide Parikarma and 12 ft wide varandah along its three sides has been constructed entirely with people's selfless contributions of funds and voluntary labour.
The Art Gallery located in the basement of the Gurdwara is also very popular with visitors. They express keen interest in the paintings depicting historical events connected with Sikh history. The gallery is named after the Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in 1783 during the time of Shah Alam II.
Brief History
A magnificent and spacious bungalow in Delhi owned by Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur) who commanded great respect and honour in the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb now enjoys the status of a holy shrine called Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The eighth Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a few months as a guest of Raja Jai Singh. Since then it has become a place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs. They come to pay their respects to the memory of Guru Harkrishan who, nominated as successor by the seventh Guru Sri Har Rai, was summoned to Delhi by Emperor Aurangzeb in a furtive attempt by his older brother Baba Ram Rai to grab the Gurugadi. Earlier Baba Ram Rai had disgraced himself by giving a false translation of Bani to appease the Emperor. For this he had been disowned by his father and rewarded by Aurangzeb.
Learning that Har Krishan had been appointed the spiritual head of the Sikhs, Baba Ram Rai became very perturbed. He tried in vain to influence the leading Sikhs of Delhi and Punjab. Later he approached Emperor Aurangzeb, who had befriended him, to help him acquire the Gurugadi. Consequently, Aurangzeb agreed to summon Guru Harkrishan to see whether he was really superior and more spiritual than Ram Rai.
Fortunately both Raja Jai Singh and his son Raja Ram Singh were in Delhi at that time. When approached by Sikhs for help, they agreed to assist them in their predicament.
The Rajput chief took over the responsibility of persuading Guru Harkrishan to come to Delhi and also gained assurance from the Emperor that as long as he (the Emperor) was not satisfied about the succession issue, Guru Harkrishan Sahib could stay with Jai Singh and his son in his bungalow as a guest.
During Guru Harkrishan's stay in Delhi there was a terrible epidemic of cholera and smallpox. Rather than staying in the safety of Jai Singh's home the Guru spent most of his time in serving the humble, the sick and the destitute. He distributed medicines, food and clothes to the needy. He also directed Diwan Dargah Mal to spend all of the daily offerings made by the people to the Guru on the poor. The Guru won more admirers. Soon stories about his healing powers spread throughout the city. Contracting smallpox himself the young Guru, only a little over five years old, passed away on October 6, 1661. He had been tried and tested as a perfect fearless and fully illuminated soul.
A small tank was constructed by Raja Jai Singh over the bungalow's well. Today, the faithful continue to come to the well and take its water home, as amrit, to cure their ailments. The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee runs a hospital in the basement of the Gurudwara building and the Khalsa Girls School is located in the adjoining building. A tank 225 x 235 ft with 18 ft wide Parikarma and 12 ft wide varandah along its three sides has been constructed entirely with people's selfless contributions of funds and voluntary labour.
The Art Gallery located in the basement of the Gurdwara is also very popular with visitors. They express keen interest in the paintings depicting historical events connected with Sikh history. The gallery is named after the Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in 1783 during the time of Shah Alam II.
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