Kacchi Garhi - Chamkaur Sahib

[Freed]

GurFateh !

A Sikhawareness member requested a photograph of The Kachhi Garhi at Chamkaur Sahib - before it was torn down and replaced in 'Marvellous Marble' - I can't remember who requested it - I believe it was Amandeep Madra Bhai Sahib or it could have been Jungee Sahib - Sorry for making a new thread - but here is a article from The Tribune (Monday, December 20, 2004) which has a photograph - It makes very depressing reading !

Unfortunately the photograph shows the demolition work not the Kachhi Garhi - but I thought you might like to see it !

Hope that helps in some way !

Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041220/punjab1.htm

The Picture :

Text from article :

Monuments of Guru Gobind Singh’s time no longer there

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

A view of the demolition work at the old Garhi Sahib Gurdwara where a new gurdwara in marble has come up in Chamkaur Sahib. — A file photograph

Chamkaur Sahib, December 19

When lakhs of Sikhs from across the globe will congregate here tomorrow to pay tributes to the two elder Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh and other “Singhs” on the historic occasion of the 300th anniversary of their martyrdom, they will also come to know how the SGPC has wiped out the great historical monuments associated with the wars fought by the Guru, his Sahibzadas and followers. Thousands of Sikhs have already reached here.

All historical buildings, including Chamkaur-de-Garhi, also famed as Kachhi Garhi, from where Guru Gobind Singh, his two elder Sahibzadas and other “Singhs” fought a great war against the armies of Turks and Pahari Rajas (Rulers of hill states), have been removed from the scene over the years. They have been replaced by modern Gurdwaras made of marble.

Many of the Sikhs turning up here will like to see the original Garhi (fortress) but it will be a disappointing moment for them when they will not be able to see such a structure in the town where Guru Gobind Singh spent two most crucial days — December 20 and 21 in 1704 — of his life. There is also no trace of the war field where the battle was actually fought as Gurdwara Katalgarh Sahib has come up there. Some say that instead of Katalgarh Sahib, it should be named as Gurdwara Shaheedan.

No trace of the original history of the Guru’s period has been left by those who were made the custodians of the Sikh heritage. All old buildings surrounding the original Garhi have also been demolished to build a new gurdwara. “Future generations would never forgive those who have played havoc with the Sikh heritage,” says a Sikh historian.

The Garhi belonged to Rai Sahib Chaudhary Roop Chand and his brother Chaudhary Jagat Singh. They were Rajputs, who migrated from Amber near Jaipur in 1134. Their elders were granted rights over 65 villages in the Chamkaur Sahib belt by rulers of that time.

Chaudhary Roop Chand’s descendants — Mohinder Singh, his son Bhup Chand and his grandson Arjan Singh — now live here at a short distance from Gurdwara Garhi Sahib. Mohinder Singh is from the sixth generation of Roop Chand. Mohinder Singh’s brother Krishan Kumar and his son Bhim Singh also live here.

There is no dependable historical date available with regard to the arrival of Guru Gobind Singh, his two elder sons and other armed Singhs in the Garhi. Seventy-year-old Mohinder Singh says that Chaudhary Roop Chand was a regular visitor to the Naina Devi temple, at a short distance from Anandpur Sahib. On way to Naina Devi and back, Chaudhary Roop Chand used to pay respects to Guru Gobind Singh, who was camping in the Anandpur Sahib fort. He says that Chaudhary Roop Chand had good relations with the Guru.

After marching out from the Anandpur Sahib fort, Guru Gobind Singh arrived at Chamkaur Sahib on December 20, 1704, and camped in a bagh (garden) that belonged to the Chaudhary family. At that place now, Gurdwara Dumdama Sahib has been built. From the bagh, the Guru and his men shifted to the Garhi to launch a counter attack on the invading armies of Turks and hill states. In the war, that continued for two days, the two elder Sahibzadas — Ajit Singh (16) and Jujhar Singh (14) — attained martyrdom along with three — Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh — of the famed Panj Piaras.

Chaudhary Mohinder Singh and other members of his family say that their forefathers had helped the Guru and his followers to shift to the Garhi despite the fact that they were under pressure from the rulers of that time. “Historians have not done justice with our elders and a wrong picture has been painted of them,” they say. Chaudharys lost the ownership of 65 villages in 1852 when the land of these villages was allotted to muhjaras (serfs) by an officer, Kala Rai. But this town even now has a significant presence of the Chaudhary families.

[Freed]

Here is a photograph of Garhi Sahib from Kahan Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh - The Gurdwara is also called Gurdwara Tilak Asthan - as traditionally it is said that Guru Gobind Singh Ji bestowed the 'Guruship'or tilak to the Khalsa - Guru Panth - here.

* taken from Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha - Gurshabad Ratanakar Mahan Kosh - National Book Shop 2000 edition

Here is what P S Arshi has said about the Gurdwara ;

"Gurudwara Tilak Asthan Chamkaur Sahib (District Ropar)

The earlier name of the Gurdwara Tilak Asthan was Garhi Sahib, in view of the fact that at this spot there was a fortress from where Guru Gobind Singh and his two sons, Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jujhar Singh, along with other Sikhs, fought a battle against the Mughal forces in 1704 AD. It is said that Guru Gobind Singh bestowed 'Guruship' upon the Khalsa here and consequently the name of the Gurdwara was changed to Tilak Asthan.

The Gurdwara is situated in the village Chamkaur Sahib in the district of Ropar. It was constructed by Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala, obviously to commemorate the incident.

The original structure is no longer there in the form it was built. The present study is based on a photographic document of the original."

*(the picture above from Mahan Kosh )*

*taken from - P S Arshi -Sikh Architecture -Intellectual Book Centre - New Delhi- 1986 pg 50-51

GurFateh !

Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

[Freed]

Gurdwara Garhi Sahib as it stands today - pictures from Karsewa.org

[Iron-Singh]

Looking at the the two historical pics, it seems even they aren't of the original kachi garhi.

From the the second pic, it appears that only the walls are of the original building, while the central building seems to have been built later on (obviously the kacchi garhi didn't look like a gurdwara when Guruji and the Singhs came there).

But hey, even that looked better than the current marble-monstrosity.

[amandeepm]

Dear Ranjit Singh

I did ask for pictures of the kachhi garhi and I am really grateful for your response. I am writing a series of articles that will be published on www.punjabheritage.org (my new site that documents the sate of Sikh heritage). The articles are titled "The Lost Heritage of Punjab" and whilst I dont wish to depress anyone I do want to highlight the steady destruction of all kinds of heritage (architectural, material, cultural and even religious) in the name of progress. Thes eimages are really fascinating and the article is a perfect addition to the databse of stories in www.punjabheritage.org

aman

[Freed]

Dear Amandeep Singh,

You are welcome !

Love your new site it is a wonderful resource - I particularly like the the blog section - hope you intend to update it regularly !!

You recently posted some photographs of your trip to Pakistan - will you be writing about or publishing your findings ?

I look forward to reading that - as I do all your work !

Ranjit >

[Guest]

yes amandeepm veer ji, we all look fwd to see some great eye opening pictorial articles on your site, i personally have lot of expectations from punjabi hertiage site...i feel if we join all the sources and contents, we could be such a strong voice against sgpc "kartuta"

[cybersingh]

Here are a few pics of Chamkaur Sahib I took from my visit......

and here is a full album of all of the gurudwaras I visited from my trip to india in Aug 2005 and Feb 2006..Here's the list of the gurudwaras...........

1) Anandpur Sahib

2) Kiratpur Sahib

3) Bangla sahib

4) Machhiwara Sahib

5) Chamkaur sahib

6) Darbar Sahib

7) Gurudwara Harian Belan Patshah Satvi

(Nihang Chauni)

Gurudwaras