Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Rohtak

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is an important Gurudwara located at Rohtak, in the State of Haryana and forms one of the pilgrimage centers for Sikhs in India.

This Sikh Shrine is situated at Mata Darwaja Chowk at Rohtak and it is connected to the ninth Guru of Sikhs - Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, who stayed here for 3 days at a pond side. Guru Ji had also organized digging a well there, for the benefit of the community, which has now been covered. The locals lying with hopelessness in life at that time got the message of Truth from Guru Ji, who inducted them to do prayers to God.

History

Emperor Aurangzeb was at that point of time in a spree to convert whole of India to Islam, vowing to feast every day only after taking out 50 Kg cotton threads, the Janeu, which traditional Hindus used to wear as a religious symbol. Quite upset by this condition and equally terrified, people belonging to Hindu religion particularly,  the Kashmiri Pandits of those times, belonging to  high caste Hindu category and who had faith in the powers of the Gurus, approached Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji for help. They placed their trust on Guru Ji to save their religion.

Understanding the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits, Guru Ji immediately prepared himself to wake up the Hindu religion and assist them. Kashmiri Pandits had also lamented with Guru Tegh Bahadurji that Aurangzeb is demanding the sacrifice of a holiest and purest person, which information Guruji shared with Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who was just 9 year old at that time. Guru Gobindji impulsively mentioned his father that who else could be holier and purer than Guru Tech Bahadurji himself. Instantly, Guru Tegh Bahadurji decided to help Kashmiri Pandits by choosing his own martyrdom.

Upon this, Guruji informed Kashmiri Pandits to throw a challenge to Aurangzeb that if the Emperor could convert Guru Tegh Bahadurji to Islam, then the Kashmiri Pandits also would follow suit.

After this, Guruji proceeded from Anandpur, coming down to Kiratpur, then visiting, Ropar, Nanhera etc. places he travelled towards south to reach Saifabad, from Saifabad then to Samana later reaching Kaithal and Jind. Afterwards, he came to Rohtak from Lakhanmajra. In Rohtak, Guruji stayed for 3 days at a pond side, tying his horse in a tree nearby. Guru Tegh Bahadurji also got a well dug there. It is on this historically significant location, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Rohtak, is established.

The people of this region were at that time lying totally hopeless, however got the message of Truth directly from Guru Ji and Guru Ji led them to the paths of Prayers and Meditation.

This Gurudwara has the significance of Guru Tegh Bahadurji’s historical decision which made him a martyr and it is from Rohtak Guruji marched towards Delhi to meet Aurangzeb.

How to Reach

Rohtak is connected to important seven cities by three national highways, which are NH10, besides NH71 and NH71A. This city is also connected by two State Highways SH16 and SH18 of Haryana State. New Delhi National Highway 10 to Rohtak is going to be a six lane highway, with 30 km reach to Rohtak City bypassing towards Hisar. State Transport and Privately Operated buses connect Rohtak with Sirsa, Bhiwani, Hisar, Bahadurgarh, Gurgaon, New Delhi, Jammu, Agra and various other destinations in UP, Rajasthan, and  other nearby States.

As for Rail links, Rohtak City is connected with New Delhi, Bhiwani, Bahadurgarh, Jind, Panipat and Gohana. Another new railway line to Rewari from Rohtak via Jhajjar is now operational from January 2013.

An air traveler can choose to alight at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, there on taking road travel to Rohtak.

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