The town has a population of nearly 50,000 people, especially Hindu and Sikhs who are engaged in several professions. The city is spread over an area of nearly 4 square miles, and is located 26 miles from Jalandhar and 17 miles from Kapurthala. Sultanpur Lodhi is also considered as a major business destination due to its location on the on the Grand Trunk Road connecting Delhi to Lahore.
Sultanpur Lodhi is one of the most Ancient Cities of India, estimated to be established in around 1st century AD. This city, in the period of the centuries, witnessed the ups and downs in terms of politics, religion, literature, trade and commerce.
The city operated by the name of Sarwmanpur in the period between 1st century and 6th century AD, and served as a major place of meditation and knowledge for Buddhism. During the process of archeological research and excavations of the city in the recent times, authorities found several statues, coins and other such objects of that era. It is also believed that the ancient Buddhist book of ‘Abinav-Prastava’ was authored here by Katiyana. In 8th century. This place was established as a great empire of Hinduism and Buddhism.
When the Afghan Ruler Mahmud of Ghazni invaded this area, this city was burnt to ashes by his army, as being a Hindu - Buddhist city. The proof is, thick layer of black soil, found few meters below the ground level here. City of Sarwmanpur after that was nothing but a bunch of peoples living in destroyed city. This was the end of ancient city of "Sarwmanpur".
In the 12th century the Nawab Wali Muhammad Khan, cousin brother of Emperor of Delhi Nasir-u-din Muhammad Shah was appointed as the Hakim (ruler) of Punjab. Once one of the two sons of Hakim, Sultan Khan passed the remains of the city and was struck by the beauty of the surroundings. He made his mind to re-establish the city by his name, which led to the complete death of Sarwmanpur and the birth of new city of Sultanpur Lodhi.
The newly developed city of Sultanpur Lodhi also served as the major point of trade between Delhi and Lahore. The city was believed to be a home to 32 major markets and nearly 5,600 shops. The city covered an area of 8 miles at that time.
This city in those days had many royal gardens and farms. There are many of those royal buildings, which are still present. One of those is Hadera, which was once the place of rest for the queens on their way to royal gardens.
 |
| Hadera |
At the end of the 14th century, the governor of Lahore Daulat Khan Lodhi was the ruler when Guru Nanak dev Ji came to the city of Sultanpur Lodhi. After Nanakana Sahib (now in Pakistan), Sultanpur Lodhi is the only city which can be said to be most related to the life of the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The association of Guru Nanak with Sultanpur Lodhi began in 1475, when Bibi Nanki Ji, Guru Nanak's older sister was married to Shri Jai Ram of Sultanpur Lodhi. Guru ji’s father was concerned about the future of their son. Resulting which, in 1483 guru Ji was sent in the custody of shri jai ram. Guru Ji was employed as the Modi {store in charge} of the modi khana {food supplies store}. Many tales and stories are famous about modi khana and guru ji.
In June 1488, Guru Nanak dev ji was married to Bibi Sulkhani ji in Sultanpur Lodhi. While staying in Sultanpur Lodhi he gave birth to two sons, in July 1494, Shri Chand ji and in Feb 1497, Lakmi Chand. Guru ji spent more than 14 years in city. During this period guru ji was the talk of the town.
Then suddenly in late 1497, news of guru ji drowning in the canal while bathing spread in city like fire. Whole city was in deep sorrow. After three days guru ji came out of canal with the teaching of "na koi hindu, na koi muslman" {no one is hindu, no one is muslim}. After that incident guru ji left his job and started his first udasi {religious journey} from Sultanpur Lodhi.
In 1739 Nader Shah, the famous invader, on his way to Delhi, invaded Sultanpur Lodhi and almost destroyed it. After looting the whole city, it was set on fire. After that Ahemd Shah Abdali again destroyed it. Later Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, after taking the historic monuments under his custody, re established this city from the very beginning. . But it could not re-gain its old prestige and glory.
Kali Bein few years back (left) and now (right)
Kali Bein, a 99-mile-long (160 km) river considered sacred by the state's majority Sikh population. Over the past couple of decades it was reduced to a filthy drain into which six towns and more than 40 villages emptied their waste. Parts of the river dried up, leaving neighbouring farmlands parched. Its polluted waters also seeped underground, contaminating the groundwater and causing lethal diseases. Seechewal, a Sikh holy man, set out to clean up this mess. Drawing on the Sikh tradition of kar sewa (voluntary service) he and his followers taught locals why they should clean the Kali Bein, enlisting volunteers to do the physical work and raising funds for equipment. At the height of his movement, people from more than two dozen villages were pitching in. The scale of the task was gigantic — volunteers cleared the entire riverbed of water hyacinth and silt, and built riverbanks and roads alongside the river.
Sultanpur Lodhi holds a high significance in Sikh history. It has many historical and non-historical Gurudwara (a Place of worship for Sikhs).
Gurdwara Ber Sahib, the principal shrine at Sultanpur, is situated on the bank of the rivulet Kali Bein, half a kilometre to the west of the old town. Guru Nanak performed his morning ablutions in the Bein and then sat under a Ber Tree (Zizyphus jujuba) to meditate. Guru Ji meditated at this tree daily for 14 years, nine months and 13 days. after that Guru Nanak one morning disappeared into the stream and was not seen for two days. It was during one such ablution that Guru Nanak had what is described, in the Janam Sakhis, as a direct communion with the Divine.
Source: Wikipedia
Images: Google search
No comments:
Post a Comment