Gurudwara Mata Sahib

This Gurudwara is dedicated to Mata Sahib Kaur, who was the wife of the famous Sikh Saint Guru Gobind. As per the Sikh tradition, when a person accepts Sikhism as their religion, then they are considered to have accepted Guru Gobind Singhji as their father and his wife Mata Kaur as their mother. So, Mata Sahib is considered to be the mother of all the Sikhs, and hence the Gurudwara that has been dedicated to her in Maharashtra assumes importance.

History

This is the place where Mata Sahib Kaur undertook meditation. In fact, she is supposed to have meditated both in her previous and current birth at this same place. The when she became the wife of Guru GobindJi also, she continued to use this place for her usual prayers and that is why today the Gurudwara that stands here is dedicated to her memory.

As per the old tradition, Guru Gobind Singh used to stay at Gurudwara Hira Ghat which was just a few kilometres away. He used to stay there and provide religious discourses. These religious prayers and discussions could happen during the day and evening and Guru ji could come over to the Gurdwara Mata Sahib for lunch. The langer also called the kitchen was overseen by the Mata and it was there that meals were provided to most of the religious groups who had come to listen to the discourses by Guru Gobind. Guruji also used this place as a resting ground after his elongated periods of religious travels and hunting.

In keeping with the tradition, even today, there are free meals that are provided at this Gurudwara Mata Sahib. The Gurudwara is maintained by Nihang Singhs who belong to the tribe of the warriors. The are in charge of the Gurudwara as well as the lush two hundred and fifty acres of land that also belongs to them as part of the Gurudwara's trust. They ensure the good maintenance of the place of worship and also offer free meals in the afternoons towards the social cause. It is a matter of pride to say that the practice that was started by Mata Sahib Kaur is still being followed diligently and this makes this one of the main attractions of this place.

Mata Sahib had supposedly stored some weapons here, that she used in worship and that could be a reason why the maintenance of this place is now under the erstwhile warrior tribes. As per the history of the Gurudwara, it was from this place that Mata Sahib sent some weapons to Guru GobindJi in his trips to Delhi. Mata had left from this place to Delhi, where she breathed her last. She also took some weapons from here to Delhi along with her. So, this place also assumes importance because she had performed prayers and rituals at this place in her last days.

The Gurudwara is strategically located between the two other famous places of worship, the Gurudwara Shikar Ghat Sahib and Gurudwara HiraGhat Sahib. Due to this advantageous location, there are a lot of tourists who come in groups to visit the Gurudwaras in and around this area. There are a lot of visitors who come in the tourists buses in large numbers and they visit the Gurudwara along with their friends and family. The free meal scheme offered here is a big blessing for such tourists and they can continue their trips after some considerable amount of relaxation. There are a lot of Gurudwaras in this area other than these three and the tourists can have a nice trip thanks to the services offered at the Gurudwaras here.

How to Reach

• For travellers from major parts of the country, Mumbai airport that is close to four hundred and fifty kilometres away from the city of Nanded is a major airport. However, Nanded's Guru GobindJi airport also is one other airport that caters to the pilgrims visiting these Gurudwaras.
• Nanded railway station with good connectivity to the internal transport systems is a major rail head of the place.
• Though taxis and other internal means of transport are available right from the Mumbai airport, it could get costly. The best way is to get to Nanded and then hire a taxi and visit all Gurudwaras in and around the place.

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