Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib Sialkot

Location - (precise location unknown) Sialkot City, Punjab, Pakistan

Associated with - Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji

Sikh Artifacts - unknown

Sarovar - unknown

Sarai - unknown

When Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji reached Sialkot via Jammu he found the whole city in the grip of terror.

Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib Sialkot

Guru Nanak inquired and learnt that someone had failed to keep his promise made to a holy man named Hazrat Hamza Ghaus.

Hazrat Hamza Ghaus had flown into a rage and made a vow to meditate for 40 days and at the completion of his meditation the whole city would be doomed.

Hearing this Guru Nanak sat down under a Ber tree close to the place where Hazrat Hamza was meditating and loudly sang his Gurbani. It disturbed the maditation of Hamza Ji, who came to Guru Nanak and angrily asked who he was and why he wanted to save the lying villagers.

Guru Ji replied "Hamza, you are not supposed to punish a whole city for the misconduct of a single person." Hamza Ji was not satisfied. Guru Ji then explained to him that there were many souls. in the city who understood the purpose of life. Guru Ji gave two paisas to Bhai Mardana to buy "falsehood" and "truth" from the market. Some people ridiculed Mardana Ji but there was a Karar (a hindu) named Maula who took two paisas and wrote two chits.

On one chit he wrote, "Life is bitter" while on the other chit he wrote, "Death is truth". Bhai Mardana presented both the chits to Guru Nanak. Guru Ji handed over the two pieces of paper to Hamza Ghaus Ji who after reading the same, pardoned the residents of Sialkot.

Maula Karar remained with Guru Nanak for some time during his travels. According to Guru's biographies, once Guru Ji went to fetch Maula Karar. Maula Karar, at the instance of his wife, hid himself inside the dark portion of his house and his wife told Guru Ji that he was not at home. Guru Ji came back and a little later it was learnt that Maula Karar had died of snake bite in the darkness.

The site where Guru Nanak Ji stayed is still called "Baba Ber". A beautiful, grand Gurdwara had been built at the site. The Ber tree under which Guru Ji had stayed is still present. A few years back, the grave of a muslim fakir had been constructed under the tree.

Shaheed Natha Singh Ji had built this beautiful Gurdwara with great love and affection. Gian Singh Ji wrote his "History of Khalsa" while staying with the Mahant of this Gurdwara. The Shaheed Ganj of Shaheed Natha Singh is within the precinct of the Gurdwara. A big well was also constructed by him inside this Gurdwara and many Persian wheels worked in it.

A beautiful sarovar was also there. An estate worth Rs 8000 belonging to Natha Singh Ji is now in the name of Gurdwara, which included a garden, a pool and residential rooms. Two squares of land endowed to it is in district Layyalpur (Faisalabad). This sacred place suffered great damage in the wake of Babari Masjid dispute. The Gurdwara is in need of urgent repairs.

Gurdwara Sri Baoli Sahib Sialkot

The Gurdwara Baoli Sahib is located at a distance of two hundred meters from Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib in Sialkot City. It was built over the site where once the house of Maula Karar stood.

Maula Karar was afraid to meet Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji and at the instance of his wife stayed inside his house and died of a snake-bite.

It was here that Guru Nanak created this Shabad.
"False is friendship with the false and greedy. False is its foundation. O Mullah, no one knows where death shall strike."

A fair used to be held on Basant panchami. This Gurdwara was maintained by Bhai Natha Singh with great love and affection. The Gurdwara was beautifully built and it is presently being used as a school for the blind.

Gurdwara Sri Baoli Sahib has been hidden from view because people have occupied the land lying around Gurdwara and built houses on it.

The sarovar built by Bhai Natha Singh Ji is adjacent to it. The sarovar is present even today but it is gradually heading towards extinction.

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  Hamza Gaus and Mula Karar

  Hamza Gaus cursed a city for having been cheated. Mula Karar became a disciple of Guru Nanak but then fell from grace.

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