Chathian wala, the town in Pakistan, where once Gulabdasi Sect used to Live

27-03-2019
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Text Wikipedia.

Chathian Wala is a town and Union Council of Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Kasur Tehsil and is located at 31°18'0N 74°31'0E.

Before partition of Sub-continent, the town has rich population of Sikhs living in it. One of the famous personalities of Chathian wala remembered in history was Gulab Das. Das was a Sikh Jat who founded the Gulabdasi sect. The sect was based on Hindu–Sikh asceticism,. Although the Gulabdasis were neither Hindu nor Sikh, following the Partition of India, they were expelled from Chathian Wala by the now Muslim-majority populace in Pakistan. The sect subsequently fled to India where they settled in Haryana

Piro Preman (1832–1872) was the first female Punjabi poet. Little is known about Piro's life. She is believed to have been sold into prostitution in Heera Mandi, the red-light district of Lahore. She escaped Heera Mandi and went on to become a devotee of Gulab Das at the Gulabdasi Dera in Chathian Wala (in present-day Pakistan

Most of the information about Piro comes from her own autobiographical verses, the Ik Sau Sath Kafian or the "One Hundred and Sixty Kafis (160 Kafis)", written in the mid-nineteenth century. In 160 Kafis, Piro describes a series of events in her life after she began living with Gulab Das in Chathian Wala.

Piro and Gulab Das shared an intimate relationship despite social and religious pressures. The two were interred together at a tomb in Chathian Wala. The remnant of this Samadhi like tombs still exists in Chathian Wala. There was one another story that Piro is poisoned and Gulab Dass also committed suicide by taking the same poisonous milk.

 

Samdahi's  in Chatian wala

The Inside View of Samadhi

The Inside View of Samadhi

The Inside View of Samadhi

The Inside View of Samadhi

Another view of disorted Samadhi

Inside View of Samadhi

Inside View of Samadhi

Giani Ditt Singh (ca. 1850–1901) was a historian, scholar, poet, editor and an eminent Singh Sabha reformer.^]Singh wrote over 70 books on Sikhism, the most famous of which is Khalsa Akhbar. His Dayanand naal mera Samvaad and Durga Parbodh are considered major texts of Sikh philosophy.

There is little information regarding the early life of Singh, despite a resurgence of interest in him caused by the desire of some people to recast his life as that of a dalit hero. Anshu Malhotra has argued that such a recasting says more about the motives of the present-day researchers than it does about the effects of social status on Singh himself.

While Singh's date of birth is generally recognised as being 21 April, the year is variously stated as 1850, 1852 and 1853. He father, Diwan Singh, was a weaver whose knowledge of the Nyaya and Vedanta religious philosophies was passed on to his son. The family origins lay in the Chamar caste of leatherworkers, from which they had moved to self-identify as members of the relatively ritually clean Ravidasi weaving community, described by Malhotra as an "upwardly mobile section of the Chamar community".

After initial schooling given by his father, Singh was sent at the age of 8 or 9 to be taught by Gurbakhsh Singh and Lala Dayanand in the village of Tiur, Ambala district. There he studied Gurumukhi, Urdu and Persian, as well as prosody, Niti Shastra and Vedanta, until aged around 16. Gurbakhsh Singh was an adherent of the Gulabdasi sect and his pupil's next move was to the Gulabdasi centre at Chathian Wala, near Lahore.

Formally initiated into the sect of Sant Desa Singh, he became a Gulabdasi preacher. Not long afterwards, he came under the influence of Bhai Jawahar Singh, formerly a follower of Gulabdasi sect, who had joined the Arya Samaj

Singh wrote prolifically, producing both prose and verse. He wrote books and pamphlets on Sikh theology and history and on current polemics.

Well-known among his works are:

·        Guru Nanak Prabodh

·        Guru Arjan Chariltar

·        Dambh Bidaran

·        Durga Prabodh

·        Panth Prabodh

·        Raj Prabodh

·        Mera ate Sadhu Dayanand da Sambad

·        Naqh Siah Prabodh

·        Panth Sudhar Binai Pattar

·        Abla Naari

He also published accounts of the martyrdoms of Tara Singh of Van, Subeg Singh, Matab Singh Mirankotia, Taru Singh and Bota Singh.

House of Giani Ditt Singh Still exists in Chathian wala, but most of the portion of this building has fallen with passage of time.

 

The Vicinity in which Giani Ditt Singh used to live

                             

Escap Tunnel 

Another Old Pre-Partition Sikh Haveli

Gurudwara Lahura Sahib at Ghawindi, Lahore

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27-03-2019

Front Elevation

Ghawindi village, located on the Lahore-Ghawindi road, holds a significant place in Sikh history. Situated just two kilometers from the village is the revered shrine known as Lahura Sahib, dedicated to Jagat Guru. This shrine derives its name from an event involving Guru Nanak, who arrived in Ghawindi after his visit to "Jahman" and sought shelter under the shade of a Lahura tree. The Lahura tree, also known as Rahura or Rahira, is known for its saffron-colored flowers that bloom in spring. Additionally, the wood of this tree is used in the crafting of musical instruments such as the sarangi.

During Guru Nanak's visit to Ghawindi, there was a settlement of Gypsies in the area. It was during this time that a boy was born in one of the Gypsy families, leading to great celebrations. However, Bhai Mardana, Guru Nanak's companion, had been hungry for the past two days and requested permission to go to the village and find food. Guru Nanak granted him permission but advised him not to beg for food. When Mardana went to the Gypsy family's house, they were so engrossed in their festivities that they paid no attention to his hunger.

According to the divine will, it is said that the newborn baby boy passed away, plunging the family into mourning. In response, Guru Nanak urged them to surrender to the divine will and composed a shabd (a sacred hymn) in Shri Rag, titled "Pere."

Over time, a Gurdwara was built at the site where the Sikhs of the Guru had gathered. For centuries, the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism, was present in the Gurdwara. However, the Gurdwara's current condition is a far cry from its former glory. The main gate has fallen, and the Prakashasthan (the place of enlightenment) has disappeared. Only two rooms remain, housing the offices of the Union Council. Nevertheless, the Gurdwara still possesses 20 bighas of attached land.

The Gurdwara at Lahura Sahib serves as a poignant reminder of the spiritual significance and historical events associated with Guru Nanak's visit to Ghawindi. Despite its present state, the site continues to hold reverence for followers of Sikhism, who cherish the memory of Guru Nanak and the divine teachings he imparted during his time in the village.

Another View

Inside view

Remnants of Water Pond

2nd Visit ‎Saturday, ‎17 ‎December ‎2022

ROCK FORMATIONS THAT RESEMBLES HUMANS LOCATED AT PANJPEER ROCKS

23-03-2019

Weather, wind and heat are the elements that can sculpt spectacular rock formations. Wind shapes the fantastical forms by eroding less dense rock, like sandstone, faster than surrounding rock. While many rock formations are carved into majestic arches and bridges, there are some that have taken more bizarre human-like shapes, like faces and profiles.

Panjpeer is the highest point of Danoi Range in Kotli Sattaian, Kahuta.  The area is full of amazing rock formation and located at distance of roughly three hours from Islamabad the capital city of Pakistan.

We found few amazing rock formations while hiking towards Panjpeer top, we started our walk from a small village named Horiak. This site is less explored as it is not located along the road.

1.  “The Sphinx”

A huge natural rock formation, I called it “The Sphinx” on first glance as it resembled to the human head of the mythical creature of Giza.

2.  Statue of Calmness

A huge boulder which have all formations similar to human nose, eyes and lips.  Moreover these entire features give a collective look of calmness

3. The Knight

Such formation formed through and Aeolian process of wind erosion over a long period of time.

An Old Story of Rainbow over Ucchali Lake Soon Valley

Locals tell about a strange phenomenon that was observed over Ucchali Lake in 1982. A very broad and distinct rainbow appeared over the horizon of Ucchali and was seen continuously for 15 days. No scientific explanation of this has been given so far, but the locals think that the rainbow appeared because of a volcano hidden under the lakes. They also tell that because of the hidden volcano the water of the lake keeps changing color.