Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh Qila

Location - Patiala Rajpura Main Road, Bahadurgarh, Patiala 147021, Punjab, India

Associated with - Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji

Sikh Artifacts - unknown

Sarovar - None

Sarai - None

Bahadurgarh, known as the 'Gateway of Haryana', is a city and a municipal council located in Jhajjar, a district in the State of Haryana, which comprises 31 wards. Bahadurgarh is approximately 2 km from Delhi (Tikri Border).

Bahadurgarh Fort, 9 km northeast of Patiala, marks the site of the old Saifabad Fort, the residence of Nawab Saif ud-Din Mahmud or Saif Ali Khan.

The Fort was acquired by Raja Amar Singh (1748-82) of Patiala in 1774 and was reconstructed by Maharaja Karam Singh (1798-1845) in 1837. The latter renamed it Bahadurgarh after Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji who had visited the place more than once.

Maharaja Karam Singh also built two gurdwaras, one outside the fort and the other inside it, both honouring the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh

Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh is about 200 metres north-east of the fort. During one of his travels through the Malwa region, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji stayed here at the request of Nawab Saif Ali Khan.

Nawab Saif Ali Khan, a pious muslim and an ardent admirer of Guru Tegh Bahadur, had met the Guru earlier. Guru Tegh Bahadur arrived here to meet his old friend on 16 Har 1732 Bk / 14th June 1675 and stayed in the Nawab's garden, which now exists as Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh. Saif Ali Khan asked Guru Tegh Bahadur to stay as long as possible.

The new Gurdwara is in the shape of a large haveli or fortress with an imposing three storeyed gateway. The heavy wooden gate is set in a red stone frame under an ogeeshaped trefoil arch. The gate is flanked on either side by door sized niches. The first floor has projecting windows, and at the top there are decorative pavilions.

Octagonal turrets are built all along the outer wall at regular intervals. Inside the haveli there is a cemented courtyard with rooms all around it. The sanctum where the Guru Granth Sahib is seated stands on a high square base in the middle. It consists of a small room crowned with a pinnacled lotus dome and surrounded by a marble floored verandah. The interior walls and the ceiling are set in with reflecting glass pieces and have decorative filigree work in delicate designs.

Painted in miniature fresco are the portraits of the Gurus. The diwan hall is at the back of the sanctum. To the north of the Gurdwara is the 90 metre square sarovar. This Gurdwara is managed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh is a modern construction enclosing the historical Gurdwara built by Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala. The original Gurdwara building, still intact, and the true attraction of the site, consists of a small building with radiating arches on each of the four sides and a lotus dome. The original Gurdwara building is located just outside the gate to the new Gurdwara.

Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh Qila

At the Nawab's request, Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed on during the rainy season for about 3 months. On several occasions, Guru Tegh Bahadur held diwans inside Bahadurgarh fort so that the Nawab's household could benefit from the Guru's darshan and discourse. During the day Guru Tegh Bahadur would pray to God here. At night, Guru Tegh Bahadur would rest at Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Bahadurgarh, outside the fort.

Guru Tegh Bahadur left Bahadurgarh on 17 Assu 1732 Bk/17 September 1675 to continue his travels towards Samana via Gurdwara Sri Moti Bagh Sahib Patiala. In keeping with modern times, the Gurdwara has been rebuilt. The fort itself is poorly maintained by the government and used as a police/ paramiltary base. Every year on Vaisakhi day a big festival is held at Bahadurgarh and thousands of Sikhs arrive here to remember the great Guru.

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