Gurdwara Bhai Lalo di Khooi
About Gurdwara Bhai Lalo di Khooi
Gurdwara Bhai Lalo di Khooi marks the house and the well (Khuhi, in Punjabi) belonging to Bhai Lalo where Guru Nanak first met him. Bhai Lalo was born in 1452 at the village of Saidpur, presently known as Eminabad, in Pakistan. Bhai Lalo’s father’s name was Bhai Jagat Ram of the Ghataura surname belonging to the carpenter clan. Guru Nanak stayed with Bhai Lalo on several occasions and the house of Bhai Laloo became a Dharmsala, a meeting place for the local followers of Guru Nanak. Later on, the house was developed into Gurdwara which was named after the Khooi (narrow well) which still exists.
Bhai Lalo is known in Sikh history for a particularly story when Guru Nanak was visiting. When Malik Bhago, an important government official of the city, provided food for all religious holy men he invited Guru Nanak Sahib too.
Guru Nanak declined the invitation of Malik Bhago. On being summoned through official command a second time, Guru Nanak Sahib took Bhai Lalo with him and went to Malik Bhago’s house. With great anger Malik Bhago said to Guru Nanak, ‘You are dishonoring Kshatriyas by eating dry chapati’s in the house of a carpenter. My feast offers you delicious food. Why do you refuse to eat it?’
Guru Nanak Sahib took Malik Bhago’s buttered bread in his left hand and Bhai Lalo’s plain bread in his right hand. When Guru Nanak squeezed his left hand, with the Malik Bhago’s buttered bread, everyone saw blood trickling from it. When Guru Nanak squeezed his right hand, the people saw drops of milk dripping from it. After seeing all that Malik Bhago became silent.Guru Nanak explained that Malik Bhago’s income was earned by sucking the blood of the poor people whereas the income of this carpenter had the milk earned by his hard labour. “This was the reason behind my rejection of your rich food and that was why I preferred the simple bread earned through hard labour,” said the Guru. There is no Parkash takes place in this Gurdwara.
