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Gurudwara Sahib Kolayat
This Gurudwara can be found in the culturally rich place of Bikaner in Rajasthan. This is a place of huge importance for the Sikhs because the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak and the last and tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh have visited the Kolayat Gurudwara during their times. However during their visits, there was no Gurudwara set up here, because Sikh population in this area was almost zero. This place was also the meeting place of the two other Gurus, Bhai Daya Singh and Dharam Singh. Guru Gobind Singh had sent a letter of rebuke to the Emperor Aurangzeb who was present at Ahmadnagar. These two Gurus were the ones who carried this letter, handed it over to the Emperor and returned to join the Guru at Kolayat.
In the late 1968, some people from the Sikh community started settling in this area from the nearby farmhouses, villages and other settlements. They wanted a shrine at Kolayat because they did not have a single place of worship here. When they came to know about the significance of this place, that it was the place which their primary and final Gurus had visited, they came to the conclusion that Kolayat deserved a Gurudwara. This Gurudwara was started as one tiny room where the Sikhs went and worshipped in large numbers. An artificial lake was set up in Bikaner and the Gurudwara was built on the banks of this lake. They named this place, "Gurudwara Sahib Kolayat".
Even today, the main contributor for the development of this Gurudwara is a Sikh farmer who takes care of all the maintenance expenses of the Gurudwara. His farmhouse and residences are located in close vicinity to the Gurudwara and he spends his entire lifetime serving the people who visit this place of worship. Every year, during the birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, this place is crowded by lots of Sikhs who flock this small place from nearby villages. This is probably the only Gurudwara for all the Sikhs living in Kolayat and all the nearby villages. Therefore, one can see lots of crowd here during important festivals. The very fact that hundreds of people visit here every day proves that according to the Sikhs, it is not the size of the Gurudwara that matters. All that matters is an open heart and a tolerance to all religions and people.
Though Kolayat is more famous for this its Hindu temple dedicated to Kapil Muni, this Gurudwara is also slowly gaining popularity among people from nearby towns and villages. According the basic principle of a Gurudwara, it should be open from all sides to insist that people following Sikhism should be open minded. The Gurudwara is open to non-Sikhs as well. The only prerequisites for entering into this Gurudwara, like all other Gurudwaras is that, one should cover his or her head and be barefoot inside the shrine. People from nearby villages consider Kolayat as a very sacred place because not only did their first and last Gurus meet here, but it was also the place where their last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh was joined by his disciples. Emperor Aurangzeb was rebuked by Guru Gobind Singh for harming fellow Sikhs in his kingdom and this place is considered to be truly blessed because this where the disciples confirmed that the Mughal Emperor had indeed received the letter. Ill treatment to fellow Sikhs is something that the religion does not permit and anybody entering the Gurudwara should make a mental promise that he would never hurt another individual even unintentionally.
How to Reach
By Air -The nearest airport to Bikaner is the Jodhpur and Jaipur airports. While Jodhpur airport is about 251km away, Jaipur airport is about 330km away from Bikaner.
By Rail - There are lots of trains plying between Bikaner and major cities in the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Chandigarh etc. The "Palace on Wheels" luxury train also stops at Bikaner.
By Road - Once you reach Bikaner, there are lots of buses and taxis available to Kolayat and their frequency is quite high.
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