Gurdwara Sri Mata Kaulan
About Gurdwara Sri Mata Kaulan in Lahore
The Gurdwara is located in Mazang area of Lahore (a central place and close to Mall Road). The Gurdwara is also known as Gurdwara Chatti Badshahi. It is said that a rich man known by the name of Qazi Rustam Khan kidnapped, or purchased a Hindu girl and converted her to Islam by force. Her name was Kaulan that literally means fearless. By nature she was pious and pure girl. She was sent to Hazrat Sain Mian Mir for religious instruction, who after a few sessions informed Rustam Khan that Kaulan was a very special and pure girl, and that she had a special affection for the Almighty that is above any religious sect or order.
Rustam Khan was not happy on these analysis and thought that the girl needed to be locked up. Sikh sources claim she was tortured and misused. But she professed openly that she was a disciple of Guru Hargobind, and sent her story of torture and mistreatment to Guru Hargobind, who first consulted Hazrat Mian Mir who verified her piousness and purity. Eventually, the Guru came to the house on Temple Road and tied his horse to a nearby tree. That tree still exists and has a special place in Sikh history. His sole condition to assist her, as was that of Mian Mir, was that the Guru would not rescue her from inside the house of Rustam Khan, but that she must come to him herself.
The legend says that Mata Kaulan Jee overcame that by escaping from the vent window of the house of Rustam Khan and came to the Guru, who removed her to Amritsar. The Guru consulted Hazrat Mian Mir twice, who agreed that she was a special and pious person. Rest of her life she lived at Amritsar, prayed, and established a name in Sikh history. When she was about to die, she called Guru Hargobind and informed him of the coming event of her departure. The guru agreed that she had just 24 hours left, and that she must keep on seeking the Almighty’s blessing. On that special note she met her end. The Gurdwara was built on orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh – The Gurdwara is being renovated again and believed to be completed before Gurpurab 2024.
