Gurdwara Chowa Sahib ( ur, ; ''literally: "Gurudwara of the exalted spring"'') is a renovated

gurudwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

located at the northern edge of the

Rohtas Fort Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur (Punjabi, ur, ; ''Qila Rohtas'') is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan warlord turned Padishah, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, whic ...

, near Jhelum,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. Situated near the fort's ''Talaqi'' gate, the

gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

commemorates the site where

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...

is popularly believed to have created a water-spring during one of his journeys known as ''udasi''.But parkash of guru granth sahib is not there.

History

The first commemorative structure was built by

Charat Singh Sardar Charat Singh (1721–1770 or 1733—1774), also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along w ...

, who installed a ''sarovar'' pool, and area for recitation of the

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...

. The current building dates from 1834, and was commissioned by

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...

Significance

Sikhs believe that

and

Bhai Mardana Bhai Mardana ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਮਰਦਾਨਾ; 6 February 1459 — 1534) was one of the first Sikhs and longtime companion of Guru Nanak Dev, first in the line of gurus noted in Sikhism. Bhai Mardana, a Muslim, accompanied Guru Nanak Dev on h ...

were traveling in the region during the fourth of Guru Nanak's journeys - known as ''udasis''. The two were traveling during the summer, and had arrived at the site following a 40-day stay at the nearby

Tilla Jogian Tilla Jogian (Punjabi and ur, ) is an abandoned Hindu temple and monastic complex located on the summit of the ''Tilla Jogian'' mountain in the Salt Range of Pakistan's Punjab province. The complex was the most important centre for Hindu '' jo ...

temples. Bhai Mardana expressed his thirst while lamenting that water was scarce in the region during that time of year. Guru Nanak is said to have then struck the earth with his cane and moved a stone, thereby revealing a natural spring. Sikh lore states that

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری) (1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان) , was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...

attempted to shift the spring up the hill to use a source of water for the newly constructed

. The king's engineers attempted the feat three times, failing each time.

Conservation

The temple stands at the base of a hill upon which the

, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, is situated. In 2020, a Sikh community organization based in USA, Ranjit Nagara, took over the rehabilitation and renovation of the Gurdwara. The work is being done through international funding via a multicultural team to bring the Gurdwara back to its original form and function as well as adding new facilities.

References

{{coord missing, Punjab, Pakistan Gurdwaras in Pakistan Religious buildings and structures in Punjab, Pakistan Domes Guru Nanak Dev 19th-century gurdwaras

History

Significance

Conservation

See also

References