Bala Sahib Gurudwara

Located at the crematory grounds of Guru Harkrishan Singh Ji, the 8th Guru of Sikhs, and Mata Sundri stands Gurdwara Bala Sahib. Bala Sahib was conferred with becoming a Guru at the age of 5 by succeeding his father, Guru Har Rai Ji. He is known for his healing touch which aided a lot of sufferers of cholera and smallpox in Delhi. Gurudwara Bala Sahib is located on the banks of the River Yamuna in Delhi.

History

Gurudwara Bala Sahib is one of the most important Sikh shrines in Delhi, next in importance to Gurdwara Sis Ganj and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. A large number of Sikhs and Hindus visit this holy place daily. This Gurdwara is associated with the eighth Guru Sri Harkrishan and the two wives of Guru Gobind Singh namely Mata Sundri and Mata Sahib Kaur.
During his stay in Delhi, Guru Harkrishan won the hearts of a large number of admirers by applying healing touches on ailing bodies. He cured hundreds of people, suffering from an acute attacks of cholera and smallpox. For Sikhs of Delhi, his very presence amidst them had a very healthy impact. For them the Guru was the boat of salvation, a ladder to reach one’s ultimate home, a key to open the lock, a unifier of the man with God, and so on. In fact, for Sikhs a Guru is indispensable, yet he is not an end in himself, but only a means for the attainment of salvation. So they were all happy to be in close association with their spiritual preceptor. But their joy was short-lived as he soon, left for his heavenly abode. During his stay in Delhi as a guest of Raja Jai Singh, Guni Harkrishan performed the humane miracle of healing and giving solace to the poor and the sick. The noble deeds of serving the suffering humanity won him more adherents than any other religious leader living in Delhi at that time. Even Muslims respected him greatly for the radiant peace and the hope his serene personality reflected. As if he had taken the burden and sufferings of others on his shoulders, he got a severe attack of smallpox and died on March 30, 1684.

Earlier, he had shifted from the bungalow of Raja Jai Singh to the bank of river Yamuna. He was cremated at the same spot where Gurdwara Bala Sahib has been raised. This shrine is situated on the ring road on the other side of the Maharani Bagh Colony. The Gurdwara is no longer on the bank of the river as the Yamuna has since changed its course.

Architecture

Both old and new buildings of the Gurdwara are situated side by side. The new building has a big hall and it was completed in 1957-58.

Gurdwara Bala Sahib is also sacred because Mata Sundri and Mata Sahib Kaur were also cremated there. The samadhi of Mata Sahib Kaur, a small marble room, is in the main hall of the Gurdwara, whereas that of Mata Sundri is outside the new Gurdwara building.