Nada Sahib

Outside view of Gurudwara Nada Sahib

Nada Sahib is a Sikh Gurudwara in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. Situated on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra River in the Sivalik Hills, it is the location where Guru Gobind Singh halted while travelling from Paonta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after the Battle of Bhangani in 1688.

Architecture

Nadu Shah Lubana family member of Baba Makhan Shah Labana of the adjoining village served Guru Gobind Singh and his followers with food and milk.Guruji blessed Nadu Shah and said that due to his service the place would be known as Nada Sahib and his name will be remembered forever. The place remained obscure until Bhai Motha Singh, who belonged to a village nearby, discovered the sacred spot and raised a platform to perpetuate the memory of the Guru's visit. Nothing more is known of the devout Motha Singh nor of the date of the establishment of the Manji Sahib, except that the shrine was under the Dharmarth Board of Patiala and East Punjab States Union in 1948 and was taken over by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) after the merger of the state with the Punjab in 1956. Since then several new buildings have been constructed. The original Manji Sahib has been replaced by a doublestoreyed domed structure, with a large rectangular meeting hall adjacent to it. A spacious brickpaved courtyard separates these buildings from the complex comprising the Guru ka Larigar and rooms for pilgrims. The holy flag flies atop a 105 feet (32 m) high staff on one side of the courtyard, near the site of the old shrine. Religious gatherings and community meals take place every day. The full moon day every month is celebrated as a festive occasion attended by a large number of people.

A new museum covering Sikh history is being established at Nada Sahib.

History

Brief history of the Gurudwara in Punjabi, English and Hindi languages.

At the Battle of Bhangani, Guru Gobind Singh did not do well in the beginning but ultimately came out victorious, and won the battle. The Bichitra Natak also mentions that the battle resulted in the victory of the Guru's forces, and the enemy forces fled from the battlefield.

The Guru, though victorious, did not occupy the territory of defeated hill chiefs. Some historians such as H. Raturi, Anil Chandra Banerjee and A. S. Rawat speculate that the battle must have ended without any conclusive result, since the Guru's victory is not substantiated by any territorial annexations, and the Guru entered into an understanding with Bhim Chand soon after the battle. However, this was most likely because the Guru was not after any territorial gains, just as his great grandfather, Guru Hargobind had done when winning his battles against the Mughals.