Gurdwara Daroli Bhai

The state of Punjab is well known as the birthplace of Sikhism in India that starts roughly around 500 years ago. This fact remains as the explanation on why there are lots of famous Gurudwara located in this state alone. One of them is in the small village of Daroli Bhai which is home to two famous Gurudwara namely as Gurudwara Damdama Sahib and Gurudwara Daroli Bhai.

The village of Daroli Bhai is located near the headquarters district of Punjab in Moga Town.  Visitors can reach the village of Daroli Bhai easily from the town as it is only 14 Km westward from the city. The village of Daroli Bhai itself holds a lot of history as it was once visited by the sixth Sikh Guru Ji together with 3,000 warriors. According to the legend, the village got its name from a woman dancer or Gujri named Daroli Bhai.

The Gurudwara Daroli Bhai is famous because visitors to this Gurudwara meets with the family of Guru Baba Gurditta and catch some stories about him as his wife's family still live around the Gurudwara. Now, they are the guardian of Guru Hargobind's belonging which includes a copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s handwritten note.

History

In 1613, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind named Baba Gurditta was born here in the Gurudwara Janam Asthan Baba Gurditta Ji. Baba Gurditta who is also the brother of Guru Tegh Bahadur was raised here and become a great saint himself. The greatness of the Guru can be seen as he had passed on his teaching to his son, Guru Har Rai.

Guru Baba Gurditta was a great saint and had helped a lot in teaching people about Sikhism and this explains why his birthday is celebrated annually here and is considered as one of the holy event held in this Gurudwara.

Architecture and Covered Area

The Gurudwara was built as a remembrance of the Sixth Guru's eldest son. The Gurudwara can be easily spotted in this village because of its blue color which is quite a contrast compared to the surrounding building. The gurudwara consist of one tall building like a minaret surrounded by a gate and other small building.

Inside the gurudwara, the Guru's gown or commonly known as chola is put on display. Devotees entering the gurudwara bow before it as a token of appreciation to the guru who had help spread the religion and for his kindness to the villagers. Besides that, an iron plate used by the guru is also put on display. The iron plate was used by him to cook chapattis for the villagers. The gurudwara is also equipped with a kitchen. This is because the gurudwara organizes and celebrates the Baisakhi day where they will be giving out free food to the needy in the village.

Location and Its Surrounding

The Gurdwara is only 14 Km away from the nearby Moga Town in the historic village of Daroli Bhai. It was told that Guru Ji had stayed here for two years and three months when he was travelling from Sri Amritsar Sahib to Malwa until his wife asked him to move out when she fell ill and died subsequently. Because of this, the last rite of his wife, Mata Damodri Ji was done here.

Celebrations

The main celebration that is held annually here is the Gurupurab where the devotees are seen celebrating the birth anniversaries of their gurus in the Gurudwara. However, the Gurudwara Daroli Bhai also celebrates the birth of Guru Baba Gurditta here. During Gurupurab, continuous reading of the guru Granth sahib is done accompanied with music.

All the important festivals in the Sikh religion are also held here including the Maghi where devotees visit gurudwara to listen to Kirtan and sangrand, a festival that marks the one zodiac sign to other.

Visitors Info

Best Time to Visit

The gurudwara can be visited all year long as there is no restriction from entering the gurudwara. To get the best experience during the visit, it is best to visit the gurudwara during the celebration of Guru Baba Gurditta's birthday.

Travelling to Daroli Bhai

By Air

There is no airport either local or international that is located in the village of Daroli Bhai or the Moga Town. The nearest airport is the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar which is only two hour drive from the district of Ferozepur.

By Train

The village of Daroli Bhai is located 2 Km away from the Dagru Railway Station. Visitors can hire taxi from there to visit the gurudwara. However, before reaching Dagru Railway Station visitors will need to stop at one major railway station named Bhatinda Jn and take another train from there to reach the village.

By Road

The village of Daroli Bhai can be easily access by road from many major cities in India. With bus, visitors can reach the district of Ferozepur from Ludhiana, Amritsar and even Delhi. Bus fare from Delhi will cost around 150 Rupees.

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