Gurdwara Sangat Tola in Dhaka

In one of the interviews to Sikh Channel S. Bhupinder Singh informed that as per the tradition, it is believed that there were 34 Gurdwaras in Bangladesh before partition. Presently, there are only 4 Historical Gurdwaras, 3 in Dhaka & 1 in Chittagong. Apart from Gurudwara Nanakshahi, as referred to above, other two historical Gurdwaras in Dhaka are Gurdwara Sangat Tola and Gurdwara Memon Singh. Gurdwara Sangat Tola is the place visited by Guru Teg Bahadur Ji. Guru Tegh Bahadur came to Dhaka from Assam and stayed here for two years (1666-68). It was here that Guru Sahib received the news of the birth of his son, Gobind Rai (later Guru Gobind Singh). The Gurdwara Sangat Tola building is 300 years old and needed a great deal of restoration work. Baba Sukha Singh visited Bangladesh in March 2006 and met senior officials there concerning the works that were to be carried out. Granthi Singhs and Ragi Singhs were sent soon after to observe the Maryada in the Gurdwara. Baba Sukha Singh ji now regularly makes a trip here to oversee renovation and construction works.

Guru’s Relics at the Gurdwara

The Gurdwara is known for certain historical relics relating to the Gurus. These include some hand written manuscripts of the holy Granth Sahib and a portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur done by an artist of his time and some epistles (Hukumnamas) sent by Guru Gobind Singh. The present position is that only one out of the five old, handwritten and dated recensions of Guru Granth Sahib, noticed and described by S. G. B. Singh in 1945 and Captain Bhag Singh in 1971, is now extant. That too is in a highly dilapidated condition and the page expected to bear its date is washed out. The only other extant relic is a pair of Kharavan (wooden sandals) placed on a chauki (a low wooden stool), used by Guru Teg Bahadur and bestowed upon Balaki Ram on the eve of his departure for Assam. The original painting of the guru, drawn by a contemporary painter of Shaista’s court, is also missing and its beautiful colour copy stands exhibited along with the above holy items in the said Gurdwara Nanak Shahi. The two hukumnamas (edicts) of Guru Gobind Singh, addressed to the Dhaka Sangat, found in Gurdwara Sangat Tola at the time of the surrender of Pakistani Army to General Jagjit Singh Arora, are no longer available there.

sikhpride

Gurdwara Sangat Tola in Dhaka

Guru’s Relics at the Gurdwara