Gurdwara Sri Sacha Sauda Sahib
About Gurdwara Sri Sacha Sauda Sahib
This is the place on earth where first concept of Wand Chhakko took place by serving first langar. At the age of eighteen, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, was sent by his father Mehta Kalu to the city to do business. His father was disappointed that Guru Sahib’s mind was not into farming and other worldly desires, therefore, he thought perhaps engaging him in trade would be better for him. Trading would be a good profitable profession, and secondly his son would be happy all day talking to his clients about his business.
Thinking this way and choosing an auspicious day, Mehta Kalu called Bhai Mardana Ji to accompany Guru Sahib. Mehta Kalu gave twenty rupees to Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji and said, ‘Go with Nanak. Buy and bring some genuine goods by selling of which we may make profit. In this way if you make a profitable transaction, next time I will send you with more money to buy goods.’
From Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the present
Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji started from Talwandi (it was called Talwandi before Nankana Sahib) towards Choorkana (now known as Farooqabad) to purchase some merchandise. They had hardly gone 38 kms from the village when they came across a tibba (a small mound), where the people were starving, thirsty and sick due to lack of water and an outbreak of disease.
Guru Nanak Sahib Ji said to Bhai Mardana Ji, ‘Father has asked us to carry out some profitable transaction. No bargain can be more truly profitable than to feed and clothe the needy. I cannot leave this true bargain. It is seldom that we get an opportunity to carry out some profitable transaction like this.’Guru Nanak took all the money to the next nearest market of Chhorkana, where he bought plentiful supply of food and brought water for these people. Guru Sahib invested the twenty rupees into what we today call ‘Langar’.
Eis bhaekh ai thhaavahu gireho bhal aa jithhahu ko varas aae ||
‘Instead of wearing these beggar’s robes, it is better to be a householder, and give to others.'(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 587)Apart from bringing food and water to the villagers, Bhai Mardana Ji and Guru Sahib brought clothes for with the money that was left. Taking leave from the villagers, they started back ’empty-handed’. When his father admonished him for squandering his hard earned cash, Guru Nanak said that that was the only true trade he could have madeMany years later, Sikhs built at the village of Sacha Sauda built a Gurdwara in memory of Guru Nanak’s kindness which in due course became a popular Sikh site attracting visitors from near and far.
A land endowment of over 100 acres (250 bighas) was made to the Gurdwara during the Sikh Empire by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Gurdwara formerly administered by udasi priests was occupied by Jathedar Kartar Siṅgh Jhabbar on behalf of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on 30th December 1920. At the time of its evacuation in the wake of the partition of the country in 1947, it had a huge fortress to take refuge for more than one hundred thousand Sikhs to wait for India transaction.
