BRAHAM GIANI SANT BABA HARNAM SINGH JI MAHARAJ BLESSES THE PLACE OF WORSHIP OF HIS BELOVED DISCIPLE SANT BABA BASANT SINGH JI MAHARAJ, WITH HIS HOLY FEET
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj of Jiyan succeeded in winning the struggle at Jaiton, in the year 1925. On his return he visited Sri Amritsar, where the followers and Parbhandak Committee members welcomed his contingent. He was given a robe of honor and requested to join in partaking the langar (Holy food).
The Holy saint said, “We all will loosen the tight sashes on our dresses only when we get back to the place from where we started and prayed for the success of our Jaito mission. We will then eat our langar after thanking the Almighty for helping us complete our mission.”
The Holy saint came to Sri Kesgarh Sahib with his contingent. After offering prayers and thanks to the Tenth Master for the achievement of success, the Holy saint and his men opened the girth of their warrior uniforms. The devotees were able to get a full glimpse of their spiritual leader.
After partaking of the holy food he started for Jalandhar. In Jalandhar, he came to the house of Bhai Kishan Singh, who was popularly called ‘Rab ji’. ‘Rab ji’ was serving in Lyallpur Khalsa High School in Jalandhar City. The school had provided a separate room to him to live. Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji came to Rab ji and stayed in this room.
The news about Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji having come to Jalandhar reached his followers in village Johal. Many devotees of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji knew that he was the beloved disciple of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji. Some of the devotees came to pay their homage to Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji at the place of Rab ji. The prominent among them were S. Amar Singh, a perfect gentleman, Nambardar Didar Singh and S. Harjinder Singh. They requested Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji to visit village Johal and grace it with his Holy feet. The Holy saint refused the request.
The sangat came to ‘Rab ji’ and informed him that the Holy saint had not accepted their invitation for a visit to their village. ‘Rab ji’ was close to the Holy saint and knew how he could be made to change his stance. ‘Rab ji’ asked the sangat to recite the words, “SANT JOHALAN! SANT JOHALAN!”
The sangat sat outside the room of the Holy saint and chanted the words “SANT BABA HARNAM SINGH JI JOHALAN! SANT BABA HARNAM SINGH JI JOHALAN!”
After some time when ‘Rab ji’ went to serve milk to the Holy saint, he placed the request of the sangat before him.
The Holy saint was kind enough to accept the invitation. The sangat came back and started preparations to give a warm reception to the great saint. A huge pandaal was erected in an open space. After all they were receiving a noble saint who had succeeded in keeping the head high of the entire Sikh community during the struggle at Jaiton.
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji came to the pandaal but did not stop there. He said to the sangat collected there, “I have to go first to my own house. My beloved disciple Sant Baba Basant Singh ji lives here.”
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji came to the abode of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji. Sant Baba Basant Singh ji felt elated to find his Gurudev blessing his place of worship.
A few days earlier, Babu Harnam Singh of Karachi had donated a bed to Sant Baba Basant Singh ji. This was though placed in the thatched hut, yet had not been used. Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji was made to sit on this bed and Sant Baba Basant Singh ji sat on the floor beside it. He paid full respect to his Gurudev.
During the night both the Holy saints discussed the subject of divinity.
It may be mentioned here that Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj never sat or slept on the bed used by his Gurudev Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj. He always imagined that his Gurudev was present there sitting on the bed in deep meditation. He himself sat on the floor near the bed and performed the worship of the Almighty Satguru. His worship lasted for around fifty-one years in this area.
In the early hours of the morning, Nambardar Didar Singh ji of village Johal came with buckets of water to bathe the two Holy saints. He felt he was indeed a fortunate man that day, for he would be able to feel and touch the bodies of two great and noble saints of the time.
In the early hours of the morning, Nambardar Didar Singh ji of village Johal came with buckets of water to bathe the two Holy saints. He felt he was indeed a fortunate man that day, for he would be able to feel and touch the bodies of two great and noble saints of the time.
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji looked at the small pond and asked, “How is this here?”
Sant Baba Basant Singh ji informed his Gurudev, “This is an old puddle. In the earlier days one Sadhu Sher Singh had dug it with his own hands. The devotees consider the pond as Holy.”
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji instructed, “This pond be immediately filled with mud. It has served its purpose.”
Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji then gave his prediction about the place, “Be it known to all that Nirmal Kutiya is a Holy place. Recitation of Gurbani will be a regular feature here. Holy hymns will be sung by groups of musicians. Sikhism will be spread from here. This place will be recognized by the world as a center of Sikhism. The administration of the 99 place will be the duty of the Chief of the Kutiya.”
The puddle was filled as per the wishes of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj. Nambardar Didar Singh was asked to sing the Holy Hymns. It later became a daily feature for him to do so. A building now known as SACH KHAND was erected at this place.
Cactus plants surrounded the place where the SACH KHAND now exists. A portion was cleared of these plants and another thatched hut was erected. Sant Baba ji started living in this thatched hut and the hut became a place of austerity. The whole place became Holy from the regular recitation of Gurbani, singing of Holy Hymns and the meditation of Sant Baba ji.
It was therefore natural that the devotees were able to fulfill their wishes. The prayers of the devout were answered. Sant Baba ji directed and enthused the followers to accept the ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword.