GURDWARA BAOLI SAHIB OF THE SIXTH GURU OF THE SIKHS SITUATED ON NUR MAHAL ROAD, PHILLAUR, DISTRICT JALANDHAR
A brief mention about this sacred place is to be found in ‘Gur Bilas Patshahi Sixth’. It is given hereunder:
Guru Hargobind Sahib after winning the battle fought at ‘NATHANE DI DHAAB’ stayed at village GUJJARWAAL, District Ludhiana for the night of 14th December 1631. Next day Guru Sahib crossed river Sutlej, with his Army, on boats. Guru Sahib and his men came to the place where now the Gurdwara is situated. The boatman was given Rs.500/- by Guru Sahib as a blessing for the work he had performed. Guru Sahib stayed at the place for the night and left for Sri Kiratpur Sahib, the next day.’
A notice board at the entrance of the Gurdwara mentions this fact. It also mentions the following verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib:
Wherever my True Guru goes and sits, that place is beautiful, O Lord King.
(Page 450)
After the above verse, it is also mentioned that on the request of the sangat of the area, the foundation stone of the Gurdwara and the big hall was laid by Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj of Nirmal Kutiya Johalan (of Hoti Mardaan sect floated by Sant Baba Karam Singh ji) on Thursday, the 9th June 1994. The construction of the Gurdwara started on this day.
Brief history that led to the laying of foundation stone of the Gurdwara by
Sant Maharaj ji
A FAKIR lived naked in this area. He had immense love for the Almighty. He was blessed with supernatural powers. People therefore came to him for his blessings. However he was not comfortable with the people coming to him. He was disturbed by their presence and could not meditate on the God as per his free will.
In order to keep the people away from him, he enacted a dramatic scene for the public to start hating him and to leave him alone. He filled a bottle with colored water and held the same in his hand. He then sat on a horse driven carriage with a prostitute sitting beside him. The carriage was driven through the city. People on seeing the Fakir in this state had a natural feeling of revulsion. They felt disgusted with his action. No one expected him to perform such an act. He performed this drama for a few days. The result was evident. He was left alone as people started hating him and stopped coming to him. The Fakir became free to remember the Almighty and meditate peacefully.
Six young stout men of the area got recruited in the Indian Army. After their training, they were posted at the town of Hoti Mardaan. They were fortunate and visited the DERA of Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj.
They paid their respects to the Holy saint. The kind saint asked them, “Young men! Which area of Punjab do you belong to?”
One of them replied, “Maharaj! We all belong to Phillaur.”
Braham Giani Sant Baba Karam Singh ji asked them, “Have you ever had the occasion of paying your obeisance to a Fakir living in your area? He is a true ascetic having full faith in the Almighty.” Sant ji Maharaj then added, “If you did not get the opportunity to seek his blessings, then you should make it a point to go and pay your respects to him, when next you are in Phillaur.”
One of the youngster said, “Maharaj! A naked sadhu lives in the vicinity of the town. People had a lot of faith in him and went to seek his blessings. Now the people hate him because of his changed attitude.”
Sant Baba Karam Singh ji advised, “A saint has a free will. We should not get involved in any kind of vilification of such a great man. You should understand that there is no difference between a great Holy man and the Almighty. The Holy Fakir will now stop enacting any drama and remain clothed.”
The Army men were impressed by the words of Sant ji Maharaj. It was natural for them to request Sant ji Maharaj, “Our area is quite backward and religion has no place. Please bless our area and the people living there with your kind presence.”
Sant Baba Karam Singh ji replied, “You all will find us in that great Fakir.”
The young men then requested for a photo of Sant ji Maharaj. On hearing this Sant ji Maharaj ji said, “A time will soon come when a complete ascetic of the Hoti sect will bless the area with his Holy feet. A secret place will be revealed by him and afterwards a Gurdwara will get constructed there. His photo will grace the walls of the Gurdwara and also be seen at many important places in the entire country.”
The youngsters felt blessed and left the place happily.
During their annual leave, the Army men came to Phillaur. They observed that the Fakir who remained naked in the winter as well as in the summer season was now wearing clothes. The clothes were just enough to cover his body.
The young men came to pay their respects to the Fakir and asked him, “Why have you covered your body with clothes now?”
The Fakir replied, “The true Guru has asked me to keep my body covered.”
The great Fakir pointed his finger towards Hoti Mardaan and at Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj. The young men were surprised to observe all this. They could not understand as to how it was possible for the communication to take place between the Fakir and Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj, when they had not met? It was only a few days ago that Sant ji Maharaj had predicted that the Fakir would remain clothed from now on.
The Fakir noticed their astonishment. He did not want any misunderstanding and therefore clarified to the youngsters, “Cars and other vehicles with the sadhus are show pieces. They are there for the ordinary person to observe. The Almighty has blessed the sadhus to communicate with each other through a contact of the hearts joined by an invisible wire.”
On hearing these words, the young men bowed in front of the Fakir and returned to their residences.
The prediction of Braham Giani Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj came to be true with the passage of time. Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj was a true saint of the Hoti sect. He was instrumental in revealing the secret places of the Sikh Gurus hitherto unknown to the public. The Holy feet of the Sixth Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib ji Maharaj had blessed these places.
These places include Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Phillaur; Gurdwara Ramsar in village, Kot; Gurdwara at Sangranwali to honor the Sikh Martyrs and a Gurdwara at Sandhwaan. Beautiful Gurdwaras can be seen at these places revealed to the public to be historic places by Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj. The Sikh sangat visits these Gurdwaras and are able to fulfill their wishes.
The prediction of Sant Baba Karam Singh ji regarding the hanging of the photos also came out to be true. The photo of Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj was not only displayed in the various Gurdwaras but also installed in the Central Sikh Museums at Sri Patna Sahib, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Sri Darbar Sahib, Sri Amritsar and also at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. Apart from the devotees of Nirmal Kutiya Johalan, other people also get the opportunity to see the Holy man and pay respects to him.