P

he Guru had by now settled down at Daroli. The stream of

religious fervour and spirituality had started flowing here too. The congregational prayer, worship and religious discourses of the Guru were attracting people from the surrounding areas of Malwa region. In fact, the few months which the Guru had spent at Daroli had a far reaching effect on the spiritual uplift and the subsequent religious transformation of Malwa. Though the Guru already had a considerable following throughout this region, his presence in the region - had won over in a phenomenal manner the whole of Malwa to the Sikh way of life.

The Guru had left Amritsar during early summer. Now it was mid-November, the advent of winter season. It was during this very month that a son was born to Mata Damodarni, the Guru's wife. He was born on a full-moon-night of November (Kartik Poornima]) at about midnight hour. The child was given the name Gurditta, meaning God-given.

Gurditta was the very child who later in his life, served as an example of deep dedication to God, and an epitome of meditative worship. It was he whom Baba Sri Chand, the elder son of Guru Nanak blessed with his favour, and dedicated everything to him.

The sixth guru, Guru Hargobind had been blessed with five sons. Baba Sn Chand, the elder son of Guru Nanak founded the movement known as the Udasi sect. Baba Gurditta later succeeded him as the leader of the sect. This sect had an order of monks like the Bhikshus of Buddhists and Sanyasins of Sanyasi faith. Baba Sri Chand was well past hundred yeats in age when he felt the necessity of having a suitable successor. It was after a long and arduous search that he thought of at last

trying the spiritual house of Guru Nanak headed by Guru Hargobind the sixth Guru, because he felt it was only here among the spiritual heirs of Guru Nanak that a spiritual Preceptor imbued with Name Divine could be found; one who could bring peace and comfort to the world and succeed him. It was for this very purpose that he approached Guru Hargobind and asked for the gift of one of his sons. The Guru then presented his eldest son Gurditta to Baba Sri Chand and said, “Since you are the esteemed elder son of Guru Nanak, and you are respected and venerated by all of us, here is my eldest son. If you so desire, my other sons are also at your disposal.” Sri Chand laughed and said, “Since Guru Nanak had given to you everything he had, and you are a spiritual image of him and you are spiritually his heirs, I have only this cap. It belongs to the faith I have founded. It is symbolic of the spirit of renunciation as well as the authority and leadership of the Udasi sect. This is my only possession and this also, hereby, | bestow on your dear son. Hence-forth Udasis will accent and obey him as their head and will bowbefore him, and this faith will progress and flourish - immensely under his leadership.” So saying, he placed the cap on Gurditta’s head and said, “My dear child, now you area venerable and a wise man, a Baba. Your father, according to the will of the Guru, as his spiritual heir, is spreading the divine message of Guru Nanak among the worldly people, the house holders. Your duty is to carry this message among the nonworldly, saintly holy men, the ascetics.” Since that day this child had been known as Baba Gurditta. In this manner Baba Sr Chand brought his Udasi sect back within the ambit and fold of the mainstream Sikh faith. Baba Sri Chand, after Guru Angad’s passing away, always remained in touch with the successive Sikh Gurus and gave them the honour and reverence due to them as spiritual heads ofNanak’s mission. The story of Guru Ram Das’s meeting with Baba Sri Chand is quite credible and acceptable, Now Baba Sri Chand, by appointing the eldest son of the Guru-family as the leader and head of his own sect, seemed to have set at rest all the unfounded fears and misgivings about the Udasi's diverging from the Sikh faith. |

Baba Gurditta Ji established a well-kit organisation of Udasi Mission. But on the whole the Udasi’s scrupulously adhered to the basic Sikh tenets, continued to worship Guru Granth (the Sikh holy book); reverentially mentioned the names of all the Gurus in their daily prayers and continued to regard and revere the Gurus as great sages and prophets. Kirpal the then head of the Udasi sect took part in the battles which Guru Gobind Singh, fought and also killed a powerful adversary in the battle. Later the Sikh princes and chieftains often gave pensions and grants of lands to the Udasis. During the times of grave crises and distress for the Sikhs, when they were facing the crunch of systematic exterminations, these Udasi sadhus took charge of all the Sikh places of worship including the . Darbar Sahib at Amritsar, and managed and maintained these With due reverence and ceremony. It was the same Udasis who carried the message of Sikh religion as enshrined in the Guru Granth to places as far asSriLanka and the islands beyond. They established religious centres and places of worship where Guru Granth was adored and worshipped. They were instrumental in creating all over India, a very large body of followers of Guru Nanak and adherents to his faith commonly known as Nanak Panthies. To make the Udasi sect conform to the ideals and teachings of the Guru-stream then headed by Guru Hargobind and to integrate it with the noble deeds and actions of the Gurus was an act of deep deliberation and great foresight on the part of Baba Sri Chand. There remained only one difference: Baba Sri Chand emphasised the renunciatory life of the anchorite while the Guru stressed the exalted role of the domestic life of the householder in the spiritual quest. There was however, hardly any difference over the fundamentals: the Guru, the holy book, the Granth, the canon, the tenets and the Sikh way of life.

Meanwhile at Amritsar, Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddha ji who were in charge of managing the Darbar Sahib and looking after the sacred pool, were eagerly awaiting the Guru's retum, the people of the city were sadly feeling the absence and missed the Guru’s benign and comforting presence and easy access

to him. So, Baba Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas, one day, after the Rehras - the evening prayer suggested that henceforth every evening after the last prayer whole congregation should circumambulate the Harimandir while singing hymns, with the spirit and faith as if the Guru was actually present at the Harimandir and the hymns were an offering unto him. The love and devotion expressed thus will certainly bear fruit and bring the Guru back to Amritsar. This is how the present tradition of circumambulating the sacred pool while singing hymns started. It happened on the eleventh day of the month of Jaith (May).

While people of Amritsar were devoutly busy trying to draw the Gum back to the city, the Guru was busy raising and keeping aloft the divine standard of His true Name (Sat Nam) at Daroli. The Guru was often in very intimate dialogue and spiritual communion with Bhai Sain Dass, who had by now acquired the gnostic vision of an enlightened and awakened soul. One day when the Guru was in a trance, a Sikh in distress on the high seas prayed for Guru's divine intercession. The prayer reached the Guru. The Sikh was helped out of his distress and his suffering mitigated. Bhai Sain Dass was then sitting beside the Guru. He witnessed the whole scene. Thus the Bhai was endowed with this visionary power almost imperceptibly.

The Guru sometimes appeared to be restive for being too long at one place, and occasionally he gave vent to his sense of disenchantment. Like the redolent air of Malyagar the Guru could not be confined and tied down to one particular place. He had to keep moving to do good, to ameliorate andregenerate the fallen and the weak. He started hinting at the possibility of his leaving Daroli any time. One day he received a letter from Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas written on behalf of the devout Sikhs of Amritsar praying and urging for his return. The Guru, after some deliberation replied, “Go, tellthem, we will be there very soon.” The happy news sweptthe people of Amritsar with joy, but at Daroli the people were drowned in grief. True and faithful as they were, the people of Daroli had learnt how to submit to the command of Guru. Therefore, they resigned

themselves to his will. The day of parting came. The Guru was leaving Daroli. The devotees were overwhelmed with emotions a sense of grief and deprivation, but they also had a sense of resignation to the will of God. A strange confluence of passion with submission to His will and an unusual conjunction of deep attachment with sublime and elevate thinking could be discerned like arainbow of contrasting and conflicting colours. The Guru bestowing his love like an innervating shower consoled the emotional devotees with very enobling and elevating words in this way, “Now you are ever with us. Never will you be parted from me. All your fears and doubts about life and death are ended. Therefore, meditate on the Name of the Lord.” Blessing the. people of Daroli in this manner, the Guru left for Amritsar. |

Enroute, the Guru stopped at Taran Taran. After visiting and paying his homage at the various sikh shrines, the Guru ultimately reached Ram Das Pur. The devotees had come from quite a distance to welcome and receive the Guru. They were singing holy hymns and the elders were carrying a salver full of offerings to the Guru. This meeting of the Guru and his devout Sikhs was full of mutual love, respect and much reverence, _ and they all alongwith the Guru proceeded towards Sri Harimandir. The Guru paid his homage at the sacred shrine, and after joining the large congregation assembled at the Akal Takhat and after meeting the eager devotees, he reached his residence near the Guru Bazar. Itis still known as Guru ka Mahal (Guru's palace}

That day the whole city had. been decorated beautifully to welcome the Guru in a befitting manner. The entire city was in a festive and joyous mood. People were gathered everywhere to have a glimpse of the Guru. That night the whole city was illuminated with lamps and torches. There were scenes of joy and enthusiasm. When the Guru was proceeding towards Darbar Sahib, the love and reverence shown by the people was indescribable. Everywhere there were the traditional welcome aartis, garlanding, distribution of sweets and showering of money on the Guru. The Guru could proceed only

at a very slow pace towards the shrine. Although the city was then not very large, the enthusiastic display of respect and reverence towards the Guru was so much that when the Guu reached the Akal Takhat it was very late in the evening, In fact, according to the traditions set by Baba Buddhaji the — devotees had completed the circumambulation of the holy shrine singing hymns in unison, after the last evening prayer. It was then that the Guru arrived. It was a strange coincidence that he saw the finale of the ritual started by Bhai Buddha to bring him back, and he was there. The Guru was so much impressed by this devotional and reverential singing of hymns, that he blessed the ceremony, named it as Chaunki Sahib and he ordained that the tradition would henceforth be part of the daily routine in the Darbar Sahib and should continue to be observed in future as well. Since then the ritual has been observed till today, with due reverence, devotion and ceremony. The elders observe that the Guru had blessed the tradition and had; endowed it with a spiritual aura. They maintain that when the Chaunki reaches the Akal Takhat after circumambulating Sri Harimandiritis hallowed by the presence of the Guru and it does impress the people as if the Guru was actually participating in it. |

Thatis the reason behind the large number of self-effacing and loving devotees carrying their offerings in gratitude to Akal Takhat when the Guru Granth is ceremonially and reverentially carried to the Akal Takhat after the evening prayers. The hymns sung by the devotees in unison are the same which were sung in the past during the Guru’s lifetime. This tradition continues undisturbed. Rather many more similar rituals have come to be observed in its wake. Sant Aya. Singh, a disciple of Addan shah, started the observance of a similar ritual at the early morning ceremonial entry of the Guru Granth Sahib in the Harimandir.