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FATEHGARH SAHIB


This is a Gurdwara and a village, about 5 km from Sirhind, named after the Gurdwara built in the memory of the martyrdom of Mata Gujari, the mother and the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. It was here that the two Sahibzadas were bricked alive on December 12, 1705. After its completion, the wall fell down. The next day, the two Sahibzadas were butchered to death the following day. Mata Gujari was also tortured to death on December 13, 1705. Diwan Todar Mall Kapur cremated their dead bodies. A Sikh, named Bhai Jodh Singh, a resident of a nearby village, took the ashes of the three to his village, put them in a pitcher and buried the same. Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib has been built to preserve memory of martyrdom of the Sahibzadas. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur had built the first memorial on the ruins of the old fort of Sirhind in 1710. He named it Fatehgarh. The present building of the Gurdwara had been built in 1765 and renovated in 1813, 1944 and 1955. The central place of this Gurdwara is the basement, known as Bhora Sahib, believed to be the exact site where the two Sahibzadas were bricked alive.

The major shrines of Fatehgarh Sahib are: (1) Gurdwara Burj Mata Gujari: It is close to the main shrine. Mata Gujari and the two Sahibzadas were detained here. It is called Thanda Burj because at this site there was a tower of the erstwhile fort of Sirhind and cold winds from all the sides made it unbearable to stand there in winters. Here, Mata Gujari was tortured to death on December 13, 1705. (2) Gurdwara Bibangarh: Here, the bodies of Mata Gujari and the two younger Sahibzadas were kept for the night prior to their cremation.  (3) Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup: It is about one and a half km from the main Gurdwara. It was here that Mata Gujari and the two Sahibzadas were cremated. (4) Shaheed Ganj-I (When Baba Banda Singh captured Sirhind, on May 14, 1710, bodies of thousands of Sikhs, who had embraced martyrdom in the battles, were cremated here). (5) Shaheed Ganj-II. When Mogul emperor ordered general execution of the Sikh, awards were announced for affecting the arrest/killing of the Sikhs. As a follow up, thousands of Sikhs were killed. Once, 40 cartloads of the heads of the dead Sikhs were being carried, from Lahore to Delhi, to be presented before the emperor. The Sikhs attacked the party and captured the heads of the Sikhs and cremated them at this site. (6) Shaheed Ganj Jathedar Sukkha Singh: It was here, Bhai Sukkha Singh, a martyr of the battle of Sirhind (fought in November 1710) and his companions were cremated. (7). Shaheed Ganj Bhai Malla Singh: It is about half a km from the main shrine. Bhai Malla Singh, a martyr of the battle of Sirhind (fought on January 14, 1764) and other Sikh martyrs were cremated here. (8) Gurdwara Thara Sahib Patsahi Chhewin: It has been built to preserve memory of the visit of Guru Hargobind Sahib. (Maharaja) Karam Singh, the ruler of Patiala, re-named Sirhind as Fatehgarh. However, Sirhind remained more in use. Now, Fatehgarh Sahib is a district of the Punjab.