Any One Know The History Of The Bunga Mastuana Taksal

[GurdaspuriaE12]

gurfateh ji

any one know the history of the bunga mastuana taksal which was i think was started by baba attar singh i think , correct me if im wrong

any info will be great thanks

[Anandpuria]

The history of Bunga Mastuana situated to the south of Takhat Damdama as I heard from one Mahapurkh who was there when it was being built and developed early in last century is as follows:

After Baba Ram Singh was exiled, British government was very panicky. They were keeping a close vigilance at all religious Sikh personalities who were attracting crowds. After Sant Attar Singh ji moved to Malwa after stay in Pothohar area Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala's government was asked to send regular CID reports on Sant ji. Ganda Singh in one of his books on such documents produces a few reports where the last report says that the Patiala government's opinion was that there was no political danger from Sant ji. I think the report was from sometime 1905. Maharaja so far had never entertained any Sant in his royal premises. However, after British were satisfied, Maharaja began entertaining Sant ji, even allowing female members of his family to seek blessings from Sant ji. This closeness grew even better. In my opinion, apart from the spiritual fame of Santji, the recognition from the biggest princely state of Panjab further enhanced Santji's stature so much so that the Sikh Maharajas requested Sant ji to accompany them to the Delhi Durbar of King George VI in 1911. With such a closeness and respect from the Maharaja of Patiala Sant ji asked him about the state of Takhat Damdama Sahib. At that time, the Takhat was the property of Shahzadpuriye relatives of Maharaja. An earlier ancester, probably, Maharaja Karam Singh had given the Takhat property and half a dozen villages in dowry to the Shahzadpur sardars. As a result there was no regular religious service at the Takhat Sahib. This resulted in this Takhat being forgotten even in the Ardas. Only at the time of Baisakhi the owners would come and open the Takhat for the fair running for few days. They would then collect the offerings, lock the Takhat to come back next year.

Sant ji requested the Maharaja to open up the premises for daily services for the Sikh Sangat. Maharaja however, expressed his helplessness in view of the owners being his relatves he could not annoy being in-laws of a daughter of his family. To avoid any embaracenent to Sant ji he suggested that he would allot plenty of land to Santji close to the Takhat so that Santji can build a Bunga there as a kind of seminary to provide religous education to young Sikh students, to build living quarters for teachers as well as plenty of land to provide agricultural produce for a Langar of size enough for feeding visitors at Baisakhi fair and Langar day and night for daily pilgrims. This helped set up existing premises. Regular Path, Kirtan, and Katha began. Sant ji asked Sant Sunder Singh ji Bhindran to come over from his village to Bunga Mastuana. This Sant Sunder Singh ji did and continued Katha of Gurbani here at Bunga Mastuana. I once heard during a lecture by Sant Jarnail Singh ji Bhindran wale at Manji Sahib Inside Darbar Sahib mentioning this. Sant Janail Singh ji was honouring a Dharam yudh morcha Jatha that had come from Damdama Sahib brought along by Sant Mittha Singh who was the head of Bunga Mastuana at that time.

Interestingly the Bhindran Taxal of Katha is not called Damdami Taxal so much due to any uncertain link with Baba Dip Singh ji. It might have been true. In absence of any tangible evidence to crroborate the link of Sant Sunder Singh ji to Damama sahib Bunga Mastana at Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo is more liely the reason for it to called Damdami because there was a famous scholar Baba Chanda Singh doing Katha there who preceded Sant Sunder Singh ji and was carrying on the tradition of Katha that Baba Dip Singh had started.

When Sant Attar Singh ji passed away in early 1927 Maharaja was deeply saddened. He asked his men to find some other Sant ji to help him overcome grief. It is said that Sant Baba Nand Singh ji Kaleran wale arrived. However, Maharaja was not satisfied it is claimed.

The above details about bunga Mastuana at Damdama Sahib I had heard 60 years ago from Sant Baba Balwant Singh ji (1895-1961) born at Dhaler Kalan near Kup in distrct Sangroor.sant Balwant Singh ji had spent his early life 1895-1930 serving at Bunga Mastuana.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Anandpuria