Chamkaur Garhi

Gurdwara Garhi Sahib commemorates the spot of the bloody Battle of Chamkaur. After the attack at the river Sirsa, Guru Gobind Singh, his two eldest sons and 40 Sikhs made it to the town of Chamkaur while being pursued by an army of 1,000's. Guru Gobind Singh and the 40 Sikhs sought shelter in a mud-built double story house. They were attacked by the enemy on December 21, 1705.
Against these overwhelming odds, the Sikhs ventured our in small groups to fight the enemy and bravely lay down their lives. Thirty Seven Sikhs were martyred that day including Guru Gobind Singhs two eldest sons as well as three of the Five Beloved Ones (the first baptized Khalsa).

Guru Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in his victory letter Zafarnama.

Guru Gobind Singh leaving Anandpur Sahib

Doors of Kot Kapura

After Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur on the night of December 5 and 6, 1704, he crossed the Sirsa river and en route from Machhiwara, after staying at Dina, reached Kot Kapura. Chaudhary Kapura was the Rajput chief of Kot Kapura and chief of eighty-four villages. Guru Gobind Singh asked Chaudhary Kapura for his fort to fight the pursuing Mughal army. Kapura was a Sikh, but did not want to earn the ire of the Mughals by helping Guru Gobind Singh openly in his war with them. Chaudhary refused the entry by shutting the doors of the fort to the guru.

Gate of Kotkapura

Chaudhry Kapura, being repentant of his disgraceful act of not helping Guru Gobind Singh, later came to see the guru and asked for forgiveness. Later, in the battle of Muktsar in 1705, Chaudhary Kapura helped Guru Gobind Singh. In 1708, Kapura was slain by Isa Khan Manj.

Dhilwan Sodhian

After refusal from Kot Kapura, Guru Gobind Singh reached the village of Dhilwan Kalan (at that time called Dhilwan Sodhian), where his relatives received him with great cordiality. At Dhilwan Kalan, one of the Prithi Chand's descendants, Kaul Sodhi, presented Guru Gobind Singh with new clothes. The guru took off his blue robe which he had been wearing since he left Machiwara, and tearing it piece by piece burned it in fire. The historic words that Guru Gobind Singh-ji are said to have uttered on this occasion are memorable: "I have torn the blue clothes which I wore, and with that the rule of the Turks and Pathans is at an end". Descendants of Kaul Sodhi’s family has the possession of a "Selhi Topi" believed to be of the first guru, Nanak Dev-ji, and a "chola" (cloak), socks and turban, two daggers believed to belonging to Guru Gobind Singh.

Blue Chola of Guru Gobind Singh

Garhi of Chamkaur

Guru Gobind Singh arrived at Chamkaur on December 20, 1704 and asked permission of the chief for shelter to rest for the night in their Garhi or haveli. The Garhi belonged to Chaudhary Roop Chand and his brother Chaudhary Jagat Singh. They were Rajputs, who migrated from Amber near Jaipur in 1134. Their elders were granted rights over 65 villages in the Chamkaur belt by rulers of that time. The older brother thought giving him shelter would be dangerous so he refused. But the younger brother gave permission to let them stay there for the night.

Chamkaur Garhi - Original State

Guru Gobind Singh camped in a bagh (garden) that belonged to the Chaudhary family. At that place now, Gurdwara Dumdama Sahib has been built. The elder brother Roopchand was worried that the presence of Guru and Sikhs will invite trouble to his fort and family. But younger brother Jagat Singh approached the Tenth Guru and requested him to shift from the tent in the garden to their fortress - Garhi.

Battle of Chamkaur

From the garden, the Guru and his men shifted to the Garhi to establish defenses against the invading armies of Turks and hill states. Mughal now sorrounded the `Garhi'. The battle raged throughout the day. Sikhs started coming out in small batches to engage the enemy the hand to hand fight. Two such successive sallies were led by the Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, 18 and 14 years old respectively, who like the other Sikhs fell fighting heroically. In the battle, that continued for two days, the two elder Sahibzadas — Ajit Singh (16) and Jujhar Singh (14) — attained martyrdom along with three — Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh — of the famed Panj Piaras.

Guru at Chamkaur Garhi with two sons

Poet Sainapat, writes, that Sahibzada Jhujar Singh made such a terribly lightening attack upon the enemy, with such vigorous determination, that it became impossible for hundreds of the enemy to locate his position, as many fell to his sword.

Apart from that, the Bhat Vehi give another good source of information. A number of poets have written poems on this episode, particularly about the two sons of the Guru Sahib.

Guru watching Martyrdom of son - Sahibzada Ajit Singh

Poet Nandlal Nurpuri wrote a blood raising lyric, "chum chum rakho ni ih kalgi jhujar di". It became so famous that many would sing this.

Martyrdom of Sahibzada Jujhar Singh

A Moslem Poet Alah Yaar Khan, wrote a memorable poetry, wherein displayed the valor of the young sons of Guru Ji so poignantly narrated and the same was recited by him in the early quarter of last century. Says he, there is no place more pious than the place where the two young ones became martyrs.

Gurdwara Garhi Sahib

Gurdwara Garhi Sahib is situated at Chamkaur in Ropar district and is connected by road to Ropar and Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway at Samrala and Morinda. The Gurdwara marks the site of the fortress like double storeyed house, with a high compound wall around it and only one entrance from the north, which was used by Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a temporary citadel in the unequal battle of Chamkaur on 7th December, 1705.

Gurdwara Garhi Sahib

Chamkaur Garhi Today

All historical buildings, including Chamkaur-di-Garhi, from where Guru Gobind Singh, his two elder Sahibzadas and other “Singhs” fought a great war against the armies of Turks and Pahari Rajas (Rulers of hill states), have been removed from the scene over the years. They have been replaced by modern Gurdwaras made of marble. No trace of the original history of the Guru’s period has been left by those who were made the custodians of the Sikh heritage. All old buildings surrounding the original Garhi have also been demolished to build a new gurdwara. “Future generations would never forgive those who have played havoc with the Sikh heritage,” says a Sikh historian.

Kar Sewa to demolish Chamkaur Garhi

Chaudhary Roop Chand’s descendants — Mohinder Singh, his son Bhup Chand and his grandson Arjan Singh — now live here at a short distance from Gurdwara Garhi Sahib. Mohinder Singh is from the sixth generation of Roop Chand. Mohinder Singh’s brother Krishan Kumar and his son Bhim Singh also live here.

References

1. http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/battle-of-chamkaur-a-sage-of-courage-and-conviction/
2. http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Garhi_Sahib
3. http://manvirsingh.blogspot.com/2005/12/saka-chamkaur-sahib-story-of-bravery.html
4. https://www.sikhnet.com/news/battle-chamkaur
5. http://rupnagar.nic.in/html/ChamkaurSahib.htm
6. http://sikhsiyasat.net/2015/12/22/a-rare-image-of-chamkaur-di-garhi-before-being-demolished-for-karsewa
7. http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurdwaras/gurdwara_sri_garhi_sahib_chamkaur.html
8. http://www.sikhiart.com/battle-of-chamkaur/
9. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041220/punjab1.htm#7