Pak orders renovation of historic Gurdwara

By SSNews, tribune - Sikh Sangat News
Tuesday, May 30, 2006

In a landmark order issued at the instance of the West Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parvez Elahi, the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Lahore, has decided to repair and renovate the historic Gurdwara, Tapasthan Guru Nanak Dev, built by Sikhs of Nilibar region in Kothiwal Chak No: 317EB, tehsil Burewala, district Vehari, about 225 km south of Lahore.

The historic Gurdwara which was lying in a dilapidated condition had been illegally occupied by some people. However, it was at the instance of a local youth, SunnaUllah Ghumman, that made the government to evacuate the illegal occupants and order the renovation of the Gurdwara.

According to Mr Manjit Inder Singh Johal, a resident of Mandiani village, near here, who visited the shrine recently, the Gurdwara was built to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak to the place, which by then was a major centre of Sufism in Punjab. Half a kilometer from the Gurdwara is the mazaar of eighth century Sufi Saint Haji Sher Mohammed. Interestingly, Baba Sheikh Farid was born here in 1173 AD when the place was called Kothiwal.

Mr Johal said though Dewan Sahib of Haji Sher Mohammad continues to attract the pilgrims on the annual Urs, Gurdwara Tapsathan of Guru Nanak remained in oblivion till recent past. He said, thanks to the pains taken by Mr Sanaullah Ghuman, a farmer and social worker of nearby Chak 201 EB and a son of a former local member of its Provincial Assembly, the late Abdul Hamid Ghuman, Sanaullah visited this part of Punjab twice and has many friends here.

He said he had learnt about the existence of the historical Gurdwara from Mr Harnek Singh Gharuan, an ex Minister of Punjab and its importance to the Sikhs. The Gurdwara which was sealed in 1994, was under illegal occupation of a migrant family. The premises, which included a dharamshala measuring 4 kanals and 5 marlas, two murrabas (50 acres) of agricultural land is also attached to it.

Mr Sunna Ullah Ghuman in a letter appealed to the President General Pervez Musharaff, to get the Gurdwara vacated and renovated. This moved the provincial administration into action and the department surveyed the site and the engineer prepared the estimate to reconstruct the boundary and renovation of the main Gurdwara hall.