Gurdwara Pahila Bara, commonly known as Gurdwara Gai Ghat, is a holy Gurdwara of Sikh religion. It is located in the city of
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and dedicated to
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
. The Gurdwara is part of "Guru Circuit" - A
Government of Bihar
The Government of Bihar, known locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Bihar and its 9 divisions which consist of 38 districts . It consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Bihar, a ju ...
initiative connecting important Sikh religious destinations in Bihar to attract more pilgrims.
History
The building where Gurdwara is located was initially Bhagat Jaitamal's house. Jaitamal, a pious man, confectioner by trade, became the Guru's follower and later converted his house into a
Dharamshala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
. It was sanctified first by Guru Nanak in 1509 A.D. and later by Guru Tegh Bahadur along with his family in 1666 A.D. It is believed, Guru Tegh Bahadur made the river Ganges come in the form of "Gai" (cow) to Jaitamal, who could not go to the riverbank due to his old age. The Gurdwara was thus named 'Gurdwara Gaighat'.
Location
Gurdwara Pahila Bara is a historical Sikh shrine situated at
Gaighat in the
Alamganj area of
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
. It is the oldest Gurdwara in this region. A new building consisting of a spacious square hall with the sanctum in the middle was constructed in the year 1980. It is about 4 kilometers from
Takht Sri Patna Sahib
Takhat Sri Patna Sahib also known as Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, is a one of the five Takhats of the Sikhs, located in Patna, Bihar, India. The construction of the Takhat was commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 18th c ...
, on the Ashok Raj Path.
Importance
In addition to being a religious site, the following things of historical importance are preserved in the Gurdwara:
Gurdwara Sri Gau Ghat Sahib Patna at discoversikhism.com/
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*Rabab of Bhai (Brother) Mardana.
*Chakki (Grind stone) of Mata Gujri
*Tree, where Guru Tegh Bahadur tied his horse.
*Thara Saheb, a place where Guru Tegh Bahadur used to sit.
*Tham Sahib, wooden pillars.
References
See also
*Akal Takht
The Akal Takht ("Throne of the Timeless One") is one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht (originally called Akal Bunga) was built by ...
*Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur (lit. "city of bliss"), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most ...
*Takht Sri Damdama Sahib
The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, Fourth Takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib is in Talwandi Sabo in Punjab, India and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the fu ...
*Takht Sri Hazur Sahib
Hazur Sahib (; ), also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari ...
{{Sikhism
Gurdwaras in Bihar
Religious buildings and structures in Patna