Fatehgarh Sahib Shaheedi Jor Mela Begins

[kdsingh80]

http://punjabnewsline.com/content/fatehgarh-sahib-shaheedi-jor-mela-begins/27284

Fatehgarh Sahib Shaheedi Jor Mela begins

Punjab Newsline Network

Monday, 27 December 2010

By Gurpreet Singh Mehak

FATEHGARH SAHIB: The three days annual Shaheedi Jor Mela, held in the sacred memory of Guru Gobind Singh's two younger sons- Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, who were buried, alive in a brick wall here, began today with the commencement of an Akhand Path of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup where ardas was performed by Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib Head priest Bhai Harpal Singh.

On the very first day, lakhs of the devotees paid their homage to the great martyrs Baba Zorawar Singh, Baba Fateh Singh and their grand mother Mata Gujri Ji at Gurudwara Thanda Burj, where they were prisoned, Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib-the place of their martyrdom and Gurdwara Jyoti Saroop where they were cremated. They also took holy dip in the holy tanks of the Gurdwaras.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar visited Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and paid obeisance there. He inaugurated an exhibition of the SGPC colleges organized by the Directorate of Education of the SGPC under supervision of Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia. Besides, he released the publications of the Directorate and also a documentary film ‘Gyan Anjun’ based on various historical Gurudawaras and educational intuitions being run by the SGPC. Makkar also distributed saplings in Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib under ‘Nanhi Chav’ Project.

The first day of Mela was observed purely in religious spirits. Dewans were organized in all Gurdwaras. langars (community kitchen) have established by the devotees, majority of them were on the Gurdwara Beewangarh to Jyoti Swarup Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup to Gurdwara Shaheedan. The villagers nearby on all the roads leading to Fatehgarh Sahib have as usual organised langar for the devotees going to visit Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib for the Mela.

SGPC has arranged a Deewan where the Sikh preachers, Ragis, Dhadi Jathas will continue to sing devotions songs, and give the accounts of Sikh history, and infuse 'beer rus'. Braving the extreme cold, thousands of devotees are thronging the Jor Mela right from the early morning to attend the Jor Mela. Keeping in view the prevailing peaceful atmosphere the police have deployed around the Mela site.

In the evening, a special play ‘Sirhind Di Diwar’ was staged in Aam Khas Bagh complex. On this occasion a souvenir ‘Shahadt’ of District Cultural Soceity was also released. District Planning Committee chairperson Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal inaugurated an exhibition to show case developmental works in the district on the district administration complex. Temporary barricading put up by villagers to stop commuters for langar at roadsides created traffic bottlenecks.

Tomorrow will be the day of conferences for almost all the political parties. The arrangements for the same have been completed today. Notably, Jathedar Akal Takhat Sahib has directed the political parties to avoid making the Jor Mel a political show. On the concluding day on December 28, a nagar kirtan will be taken from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup, where the Sahibzadas were cremated.

Fatehgarh Sahib DC Yashvir Mahajan has already banned and sale of consumption of liquor near the Mela site. He said that the administration has already made all the necessary arrangements to facilitate the visiting devotees and the staff has been warned to perform duties properly. He said maintaining the sanctity of pious occasion, sale of meat, liquor and cigarettes would be prohibited at the mela. Similarly loudspeakers, live dances, stalls of gambling, merry-go-round, circus etc is banned around the vicinity of Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara and Jyoti Sarup gurdwara. SSP R. S. Khatra said that no untoward incident occurred on the first day of Jor Mela.

gurpreetsinghmehak@gmail.com

[kdsingh80]

http://punjabnewsline.com/content/fatehgarh-sahib-shaheedi-jor-mela-begins/27284

Mela mirth has political, sporting flavour

Kabaddi tournament a crowd puller

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 27

The Kabaddi tournament organised during the Jor Mela at Mata Gujri College drew immense response from the public today.Various sports tournaments and meets including hockey, football and kabaddi have been organised. The meets are being organised at Fatehgarh Sahib, where martyrdom day of younger sahibzada’s of Guru Gobind Singh.

“I just came to the playground as my teenaged son insisted. Besides players, spectators are also showing interest in the matches,” said 43-year-old Gurchain Singh, a resident of Patiala.

Players of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) displayed their talent for the first time in today’s tournament.

The SGPC has announced to give monetary benefits and jobs to the players, who will join the SGPC kabaddi teams.Several spectators turned up to watch the matches and encouraged players. The audience comprised of students of the participating college teams.

High on adrenaline, the audience’s enthusiasm grew with every goal. Baba Zorawar Singh Baba Fateh Singh Kabaddi Academy, Amritsar, today defeated Dashmesh Academy Datewas, Mansa, in the first match with 15 points.

Inaugurating the tournament, MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said it was high time to save Punjab’s youth to save from clutches of drugs. He said introduction of games, especially kabaddi, in Punjab would help eradicate drugs in the state.