Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib is the old historical Gurudwara in Delhi

By / December 21, 2022

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib Ji is the old and historical gurdwara in Delhi which was built by Baghel Singh Dhaliwal. It is located in Chandni Chowk, old Delhi.

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib was first constructed in 1783 as a small sanctum by Baghel Singh Dhaliwal to commemorate the martyrdom point of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was presumably expanded after Indian Rebellion of 1857 or after Partition of India. Before its construction the Mughal Kotwali (Police Station and Jail) was positioned then. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the Mughal Kotwali was demolished by British and the land was given to the Sikhs because the Sikh Maharaja of Patiala and other Sikh soldiers helped the British to master the Mughal soldiers by furnishing large figures of security and soldiers.

Image credit: Viator

Quick Detail

  • Location:  Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
  • Actual Name: Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib Ji
  • Timings: 24 hours
  • Style: Sikh architecture
  • Religion: Sikhism
  • Built By: Baghel Singh Dhaliwal
  • Built in: 1783
  • Contact information: https://www.dsgmc.in/Home/Contact

Structure

Its current structure was made by Rai Bahadur Narain Singh a contractor who make utmost of roads in Lutyens New Delhi construction under British Rule. Positioned in Chandni Chowk in Delhi which marks the purpose where the ninth Sikh Practitioner was guillotined on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on Martinmas 1675 for saving Kashmiri pandits who refused to convert to Islam. The Sikh troop of the Indian army laud the Sis Ganj Gurudwara after cheering the chairman of India since 1979, the only case of cheering doubly in the Republic Day cortege by a troop of Indian army.  

History of Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib

After the beheading of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, his body was stolen by Lakhi Shah Vanjara who was one of his followers.Lakhi then burnt his house too for the cremation of the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib now exists at this site.

The tree under which his head was cut off and the well where he used to take bath have been preserved in the holy place. The police station where he and his followers were imprisoned is connected to the Gurdwara. Sunehri Masjid is closely connected to the Gurdwara.

Military General, Baghel Singh stepped into Delhi on 11th March 1783 alongwith his army. He was able to capture Diwan-i-Am from the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. Baghel Singh made an agreement with the Mughal Emperor to upraise the gurudwaras in the city in Sikh sites.

Sis Ganj Sahib was one of the holy sites of Sikhs that he constructed which took around 8 months to complete from April 1783 to November 1783. However, it became the matter of dispute among the communities of Sikh and Muslims for creating mosque and gurdwara which resulted in legal action.  After an extended alligation British Raj favoured the Sikh petitioners. The present structure of the gurdwara was added in 1930. Gold covered  domes were later constructed. Kotwali where the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was imprisoned was now commended to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee in the year 2000.

Bhai Jaita (follower of the Sikh Guru) had brought the severed head of the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur to Anandpur Sahib (a city in Punjab). Another Gurdwara was constructed on the name of the Guru Tegh Bahadur in Anandpur Sahib.

Last Guru of Sikh

Gobind Singh: The last and the 10th Guru was Gobind Singh. He was born in 1666 and was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

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