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Gurudwara Bari Sangat Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Varanasi
Supposed to be one of the first Gurudwaras in the area, this assumes importance as it is the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur is supposed to have stayed during his visits. So, there are a lot of pilgrims who visit this place and pay their tribute to the Guru. Adding to the glory of the place is the visit of Guru Gobind as well on his trip to Patna. If we are to go by the Hukumnamas that you can find in this Gurudwara, there are mentions of the great Guru Nanak himself having visited this Gurudwara. These will well explain the reason why the pilgrims and followers of the religion of Sikhism make this Gurudwara a must visit one in their lifetime.
Facts
Like we saw earlier, the writings or Hukumnamas that are found in this Gurudwara can be considered to be one of the oldest and the most ancient amidst those found in Gurudwaras. That fact itself accords a lot of importance to this Gurudwara. Guru Tegh Bahadur is supposed to have stayed in this precise play when he toured Varanasi for his religious discourses. The place then was owned by a person called Bhai Kalyan Mal. This was later converted into a Gurudwara and was constructed by the Maharaja of Patiala, Narinder Singh in 1854.
However, now the new look Gurudwara that has three levels was constructed much later in 1930 as a part of the renovation of the earlier Gurudwara. The ground floor is the most important as this house the places of worship, the sanctum. This is found in one corner on the ground floor and the entire length of the place is dotted with a lot of pictures in the form of a gallery and this also has a lot of storage spaces that the pilgrims can use to store their belongings.
There are many interesting features associated with this Gurudwara. The first one is the Tap Asthan, which is a small room that Guru Tegh Bahadur used for his meditation purposes and this is maintained well till date. As per one of the stories Bhai Kalyan Mal invited the Guru to purify himself by bathing in the Ganges. The guru however refused and said with the power of his prayers, the Ganges would come to him instead of him going there. He asked a stunned Bhai Kalyan to move a stone and once he did it, there came forth a spring of water that is still seen here as the Baoli Ganga Pargat. The water is supposed to be able to cure devotees of all illness.
The other main attractions of this Gurudwara include two loose cloaks like gowns and a pair of shoes of Guru Tegh Bahadur and one pair of shoes of Guru Gobind Singh. These are all even today preserved in glass enclosures and devotees come from far and near to see these artefacts.
How to Reach
- Varanasi airport is the best choice for pilgrims who wish to travel by air. But since this is a smaller airport and flight options could be restricted, pilgrims can choose to come to Delhi and then fly to Varanasi or take local transport to this place. However, Varanasi is connected to important cities like Mumbai and Delhi through everyday flights, so pilgrims from other parts of India and abroad finds it more convenient.
- Varanasi railway head is closest to get to this Gurudwara. There are trains from all metros and also from other cities in India to Varanasi. Kashi is also another railway station that is closer to this Gurudwara. Some cities have only weekly trains, so it may be ideal for tourists who are travelling from cities where are the no daily trains to cover some distance on air and then take the train from there. This will also save time for the pilgrims.
- Sine this falls into the belt of the religious cities there are many public transport vehicles includes buses and taxis that ply from major cities to Varanasi. The bus service is cheaper and better and this could the option for tourists who want to minimize the travel costs. There are buses from many major cities and these connections are timely and regular.
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