Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib

Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib is located in Lehal Village which is part of Patiala city. The Gurudwara building complex is an expansive area over several acres. It is equipped with two storey gateway with a collapsible iron gate. The flooring is black and white, laid in marble stones. There is a small shrine on the left of the pathway to the building which marks the site where Guru Tegh Bahadur had rested under a banyan tree. The central building is of two storeys which has a domed pavilion on top. This pavilion is on a raised base of octagonal domed chamber at each corner. There is a lotus dome on top having a round sun-window on either side with a curved coping which are projected horizontally at ends. All the corners are decorated with domed pavilions containing blossoming lotus figures in them.

The interior part of the Gurudwara is of white and grey marble slabs laid against black and white of the outer construction. All the walls and pillars are constructed with white marble slabs. The ceiling is laid in stucco work with floral designs. The Guru Granth Sahib is placed below the square canopy at the far end. The square Sarovar (water tank) which is about 75 meter long is on the right side, while Guru Ka Langar is held on the left of the entrance area.

Besides the pilgrimage value, this Gurudwara is a place one should visit for its architectural beauty.

History

During a particular period of time people of Lehal village were suffering from a mysterious illness and one Bhag Ram, a Jhivar of this place, was looking for the visit of ninth Holy Guru of Sikhism Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh Ji who was touring around Saifabad, which is now called Bahadurgarh and he approached him to visit Lehal as he believed that Guruji’s visit would result in removal of sufferings.

The Guru Sahib made this visit on 24 January1672, corresponding to Maghsudi 5, 1728 of Bikram year, when he sat under a Banyan tree next to a pond. As Guruji was staying there, the sickness in the village vanished and the misery of people was warded off. The site where Guruji was sitting was named Dukh Nivaran which literally means removal of misery. The devotees started having faith in the curing quality of the Sarovar water.

Raja Amar Singh of Patiala (1748–82) laid out a Garden on this site as a memorial for Guruji, which he gave it to the custody of Nihang Sikhs. In 1920, a survey for construction of Sirhind-Patiala-Jakhal railway line was taken up for which project the banyan tree under which Guru Tegh Bahadur sat was to be removed. But people of this village objected to it and Maharaja Bhupinder Singh cancelled the proposal. No Gurudwara building was raised here until 1930 when a committee was formed for the construction of Gurudwara. Ultimately, this Gurudwara was built in twelve years’ time, completing it in the year 1942. It was Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, a devout Sikh, who raised the present building and Sarovar. This Gurudwara came under the administrative control of the Patiala state government first, but later transferred to the Dharam Arth Board of PEPSU. However, the upkeep of this Gurudwara has come under the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.

The devotees assemble here on the fifth day of the bright half of each lunar month to offer Prayers to Guruji. The annual festival celebrated here is Basant Panchmi which marks the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.

How to Reach

Lehal village comes under Payal tehsil of Ludhiana district and this location is 32 km away from Ludhiana.  Both by road and rail one can reach this place from Ludhiana.

Ludhiana railway station is popular and well connected with most of the North Indian Stations. It has direct trains from Delhi and other important railway points.

Ludhiana has an airport which is located in Sahnewal, a small town 5 kilometers southeast of Ludhiana approachable via GT Road. The airport is equipped with a number of taxis to reach Lehal village.

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