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Foundation Of Tarn Taran Sahib

Sakhi Sarwar had a great influence in the rural areas. The jats and farmers of other castes, who had no faith in hinduism, were becoming followers of Sakhi Sarwar. Notwithstanding Prithi Chand's attempts to intimidate the Sikhs in Amritsar, the Guru's quarrelsome brother continued to give him every form of annoyance.

Consequently Guru Arjan decided to leave Amritsar and travel in the Majha region of Punjab spreading the message of Sikhi. This was the country between the Ravi and Beas rivers. Some of the places Guru Arjan and his Sikhs visited were Jandiala, Khadur Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Chohla Sahib, Khanpur, Khara, Tarn Taran Sahib, Guru Ki Wadali and Kartarpur.

Tarn Taran Sahib was first founded by Guru Arjan. During the 1980s and early 1990s Tarn Taran Sahib was suggested as the capital of Khalistan, the proposed Sikh independent nation. The main industry in this area is agriculture and agro-industry, with few other opportunities.

Foundation Of Tarn Taran Sahib

After Khanpur, Guru Arjan proceeded to the village of Khara. On entering the village Guru Arjan received a friendly reception from the villagers. There were beautiful flowering glades and woods around Khara. The limpid water, and the fresh and exhilarating atmosphere pleased Guru Arjan. Afterwards, the villagers assisted the Guru in obtaining land on which he laid the foundations of what is now the famous Sikh city of Tarn Taran Sahib.

After Guru Arjan bought the land Baba Budha performed the ardas (prayer) and Guru Arjan himself laid the foundation stone of the city on 15th of April, 1590 AD. Guru Arjan named the place Tarn Taran which means a raft to take people across the world's ocean. In that land, where there was a pool to water the trees, Guru Arjan started construction of a large sarovar.

Cure From Leprosy

One morning Guru Arjan stood by that sarovar enjoying nature. Five men were passing by him carrying an old man on a bed. The old man was making a great deal of noise, shouting and screaming. Guru Arjan asked them, "What has happened to this old man to make him shout like this?" They replied, "He is the headman of the village Mugadpur. He has been suffering from leprosy for many years. He has been given all sorts of treatments but to no avail. He is suffering greatly due to this disease. Now as per his wish, we are taking him to be thrown into the river Beas."

Guru Arjan said, "Do not take him to throw into the river. Bathe him in this sarovar. He will get well." Obeying the command of the Guru, they placed the bed near the sarovar of Tarn Taran. In a matter of days, that headman of Mugadpur got well by listening to the morning and evening recital of Gurbani and bathing in the sarovar.

Mughal Thieves

Guru Arjan also started to construct a leper's home near the sarovar. A large quantity of bricks was required for this purpose. The Guru, at great expense, built lime-kilns to bake bricks for this particular purpose. When these were seen by Nur-ul-Din, the local Muhammadan governor, they were, according to the tyrannical custom of the age, seized by him for the construction of a Seraglio (palace) designed by the Emperor for the public use.

Guru Arjan's Sikhs asked Guru Sahib to write to the Emperor to allow the sarovar to be finished and to restrain Nur-ul-Din's anti-Sikh actions. The Guru, who was the essence of humility, refused to take notice of the outrage. He said that God had not yet ordered the sarovar to be made, wherefore they were to stop its construction altogether. "Mercy", continued the Guru, "is the basis of religious worship; we should have mercy on everyone. The acts of those who do not have mercy in their heart are vain."

In the Sambat year 1832 (1775 AD) Sardar Khushal Singh of Faizullapur and Sardar Jassa Singh of Ramgarh destroyed Nur-ul-Din's edifice including the foundations, and employed the bricks, of which Nur-ul-Din had robbed the Sikhs, by paving the surroundings of the Tarn Taran sarovar.

Manji Sahib, a small domed Gurdwara in the eastern part of the circumambulatory pavement within the Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib complex, marks the spot from where Guru Arjan supervised the excavation of the sarovar. A diwan hall, a vast pavilion of reinforced concrete, has now been raised close to it. There are 5 Historic Sikh Gurdwaras in Tarn Taran Sahib.


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