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Touring around India spreading the sacred word of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
TOUR 1974
On each tour that Baba Ji undertook they performed kirtan and parchar in every village and town they stopped in, spreading Guru Nanak Dev Ji's message of peace, tolerance and bhagati with emphasis on Guru Gobind Singh Ji's rehat and maryadha.
On the first tour Baba Ji was accompanied by elder bhai Sahib Manjit Singh on mandolin and Jaipal Singh on tabla. From Jalandur they went to Mauradhabad to Rudki to Rampur to Dhampur, to Rudhurpur where they met Jagjit Singh Sidki Ludianawale brother who were also kirtanias and did lots of sewa of the jatha, Baba Ji and jatha stayed with them, Then on to Sitarganj to Gudharpur, to Nanakmata where the granthi/priest was Bhagat Singh and gurdwara president was Gian Singh Shabra.
Then on to Khatima to Pillibeat where there is a gurudwara dedicated to Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji. Here jatha prepared and performed Amrit sanchar ceremony. Then on to Shithi Chauria where they met Gurdev Singh a relative of Gian Zail Singh. Talwar Singh and Gurdeve Singh were part of the management team at the Gurdwara. There was a rainsbai kirtan done here but a number of kirtanias did not turn up so Baba Ji was asked to cover for the absent jathas. This meant that Baba Ji and jatha started kirtan at 8:00 in the evening and did not finish until 8:00 in the morning, that is twelve hours of kirtan in one sitting. The sangat were very honoured and grateful for the jatha and showed great piyar for them. After rainsbai Baba Ji performed amrit sanchar. There was a sindhi gurdwara nearby and Baba Ji performed kirtan here also.
Then on to Puranpur to Haldwani to Kitchaa, to Ruhailkhand which is a very significant place for Guru Nanak Dev Ji. You may recall the sakhi, in order to show the people the true path to God Guru Nanak Dev Ji was sold here as a slave and freed the slaves and servants held by the local Nawab. Baba Ji remembered what had happened here and became deeply emotional. Then on to Nenitaar to Melani to Gaunda and onto Dhadhua to Shilang to Shiwang Sardar Nagar and heading in an easterly direction. In each town Baba Ji and jatha would stay one or more days and do kirtan and dharam parchar. Then on to Kaphail and to the well-known city of Darjeeling and on to Shiligauri. Baba Ji stayed in this hilly area for around one month and with companions Ranjit Singh and Nand Singh and Kaka Singh performed amrit sanchar.
Then on to Bauvdogra which is an air force gurdwara. On Baba Ji's travels they did a lot of parchar at army, air force and naval gurdwaras. Baba Ji particularly enjoyed this as they were doing parchar to the indian nawjawan (soldiers) instilling in them the notion of protection of the mother country and its people. Baba Ji told them sakhis of the Guru's and did Sikhi parchar. Baba Ji was treated with great honour at the bases by the officers and would generally be assigned a jeep and orderly to take them out and about as they pleased. From Shiligauri Baba Ji went on to Julpiegauri and to Dilgawn where there is a gurdwara next to the railway station and lots of rich Sikhs live here who own tea plantations and fleets of trucks. Then on to Diplengarh and Gauti to Boori Bandher and over the border to Nagaland. In those days there was a large group of naga or naked sadhus that lived in the forest and jungles. On a visit out into the jungle Baba Ji were met by the nagas who came out of the thick foliage. Now, Baba Ji did not speak their language and they did not speak any language that Baba Ji knew so for a while they just sat and looked at each other. Baba Ji folded their hands together and started reciting Japji Sahib and once finished did namaskar, to which the naga sadhus also did namaskar towards Baba Ji. They had some fruit with them and offered this to Baba Ji and distributed it to all who were sat in the clearing. Baba Ji and jatha then got up and after namaskar backed away. The naga sadhus followed, some on the left-hand side some on the right and the rest following behind. They escorted the jatha to the edge of the jungle and then disappeared back into the foliage. When they got back to the town the locals were very surprised and also a little concerned because the naga sadhus do not like people venturing into their territory and on occasions can become very violent. From here the jatha returned back to Jalundhar.
Tour
Accompanying Baba Ji was Bhai Manjit Singh on mandolin and Jaipal Singh on tabla, started from Jalundhar to Sidhi to Braily, did kirtan in all the gurdwaras and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji's Gurdwara where the president was Chooni Laal, in Braily and stayed here for around a month and a half. On to Shahjahanpur and stayed and did kirtan parchar at the Singh Sabha gurdwara for 19 days. At this gurdwara some jealous persons put poisonous substance in the saag given to the jatha. Manjit Singh and Jaipal Singh both became very ill and it effected Baba Ji as well but with Guru Ji's blessing they all pulled through. From here they went to Pilibeat and took the train to Milani and onto the famous town of Lucknow.
On the journey to Lucknow the train was stopped in the middle of the jungle by a bunch of robbers. Baba Ji and jatha were in one carriage and normally when people saw three sardars with full 3 feet long siri sahibs (swords) then the families with ladies and children would gravitate towards them as they felt safe. So the carriage had Baba Ji and jatha and a number of families with ladies and one policeman. The train came to a shuddering halt in the middle of the jungle and all was quiet. The policeman said that it is most likely robbers and they will be looting the carriages one by one. He said, "Sardar Ji whatever happens we must not open the doors of the carriage", this Baba Ji agreed with. The policeman stood next to the door on one side of the carriage and Baba Ji and the jatha started reciting Chaupai Sahib and drew their Siri Sahibs and stood next to the main door where the robbers were expected to make an appearance. Sure enough there was a loud thumping on the door and they demanded the door be open. Baba Ji told them that the door would not be open and that they had Siri Sahibs and anyone who ventured in would not be venturing out alive. There was a tense standoff and after much threats and banging on doors the robbers left empty handed. The train stopped for a tense hour or so before it continued on to Lucknow.
Arrived at Lucknow and went to Nakalandola where there is a gurdwara dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib Ji, perormed kirtan here. On the banks of the Gaumti, Lajpat Nagar met a very spiritual person called Joginder Singh and his family. They did sewa of Baba Ji and jatha and insisted that they stay at their house which they did. Then on to Golokpur and Birganj and Natanama and over the border to Nepals capital city Katmandu. Stayed in Kantibhavan Dhool and performed kirtan with tadi Nathman and his son. There was a nearby ashram of Udassies who used to do parkash of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. When Baba Ji went to meet them they offered milk. Baba Ji said they would accept the milk if they agreed to Baba Ji's request/benti and that was to stop smoking hukka, this they agreed to. Baba Ji visited the place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji came to on the banks of a river and Baba Ji was blessed with darshan of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. In Nepal Baba Ji met Pritam Singh who was very well off with a fleet of trucks and buses but was very humble in nature. He did lots of sewa of Baba Ji and had great love for Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Then on to Silguri and back to Bhagdogra air force gurdwara. The air force officer in command assigned a jewan and a jeep to Baba Ji and jatha to go out and about. Here they used dalda-ghee in preparing parshad but Baba Ji suggested that the correct type should be desi-ghee which they switched to. They did plenty of parchar and kirtan spreading the word of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and returned back to Jalundhar.
Tour
From Jalundhar to Lucknow, due to misunderstanding with the jatha they suddenly found themselves short of money and they had just started the tour. They asked the granthi or priest at the gurdwara they were staying but he was not forthcoming. Baba Ji met a local pundit brahmin who used to bring milk for Baba Ji in the morning. He invited Baba Ji home and did sewa and his whole family were very loving with piyar for Baba Ji. When Baba Ji mentioned the situation, he became very emotional, he opened the till cash desk and asked Baba Ji to take as much money as they needed. Baba Ji took just 100 Rs. From here went on to Lajpat Nagar to the banks of Gaumti river near Pulpilia which is like a maze. Went to see Joginder Singh who gave money to tie things over. Then on to Siliguri where they stayed for 2 months doing kirtan and parchar and then returned back to Jalandhar.
Tour
From Jalundhar to Patna Sahib where Baba Ji performed kirtan and celebrated gurpurbh of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Then on to Aaria and to Dhanwad where they met Nihang Bhag Singh from pathankote. Spent all night trying to cook langar as the wood for burning was totally wet and would not ignite! On to Ranchi and Sant Mohar Singh dera where did kirtan and everyone was very loving and full of piyar. Then on to Ramgarh a military garrison and performed kirtan here to the military personnel stayed here for 15 days. On to Chaas to Panagarh on to Raiganj Moor to Tatanagar to Jamshaidpur to Teenplate Gurdwara to Tilgo gurdwara next to the station. In each place Baba Ji performed kirtan and parchar of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's mission, at Tilgo performed sanchar. On to Katak to Imili Sahib Gurdwara where Baba Ji met a local journalist who had misconceptions about Sikhism and Anandpur Sahib, Baba Ji explained to him that Sikhism is all about love and sewa and seeing the divine jyote in everyone which the journalist then published in his paper. Arriving in Bhavanashpur where they met Surjit Singh son of Dharam Singh Zakhami famous kirtania, then on to Jugganathpuri which is near the coast. Did Kirtan where the local brahmins did lots of sewa of Baba Ji with great piyar, then back to Bhavanashpur and to Juggnathpuri and back to Jalandhar.
TourFrom Jalundhar to Lucknow to Sardar Nagar where Majitha Singh owned a sugarmill and performed kirtan at his mill and stayed here for over a month due to the love of the sangat. Would have stayed longer but the jatha had to return back to Jalandhar.
Bhagdogra Gurdwara, Darjeeling.
Tour
From Jalandhar met Sant Naschal Singh Mittey Twaneywale and performed kirtan of the panj banis at Jamna Nagar and Juggannathpur. Local sevak of Sant Ji did not want Baba Ji to stay as Sant Ji was having piyar for Baba Ji. On to Janna Nagar to Rampur to Braily to Baans Braily and on to Mughalpur to Fezzabadh and on to Ayuodhiapuri where performed kirtan in Bhai Biddi Chand gurdwara, on to Devnagar and on to the hippy capital of Goa to the Railway Quarter Gurdwara. To Aara and Dhanwadh to Handi Sahib gurdwara where the granthi Sahib or priest was very welcoming and full of piyar. Met around 12 Sikh families all working on the railways and stayed with them. In the morning hot dhal and parshaday (chapatis) made by a Nihang Singh. Here there was a water nalka, like a water pump that in the previous evening had no handle and was totally dry of water, yet in the morning Baba Ji saw that the handle was intact and water was flowing freely. From here went on to Patna Sahib and to Mindhrughat and travelled by steam liner to Mujafernagar then back to Lucknow. On to Kaanpur and Chugwa to Badhaio. Here stayed in the gurdwara who wanted Baba Ji to do kirtan on gurpurbh. While at the gurdwara Baba Ji heard that the local mandir had a saroop of Guru Granth Sahib Ji but was being kept in a strange way. Baba Ji went to see and saw stones had been placed around the saroop and some even placed on top. Baba Ji talked with a local committee. A suniasi from Hardwar who was a sevak of Baba Siri Chand said that this is the work of the local brahmins please do something about this. After the gurpurbh was celebrated all the sikhs marched onto the mandir and brought Guru Ji's saroop back to the gurdwara. Afterwards Baba Ji gave the brahmins large sum of money just to calm them down. Jatha then returned back to Jalandhar.
Tour
From Jalandhar to Aligarh, Amar Singh looked after the gurdwara here and he and his family were very good sevaks of the gurdwara with lots of love in their hearts, his son was very spiritual and continuously did jaap all the time. Baba Ji and jatha stayed with them and performed kirtan in and around Aligarh. Then on to Aapur and Khurja and on to the city of Agra. Here there is a gurdwara called Guru-ki-taal where they did kirtan. Met Sadhu Singh and Moni Ji. Baba Ji stayed with them and Moni Ji were very happy and pleased with Baba Ji with lots of piyar. Did kirtan at the gurdwaras in and around Agra with lots of love and piyar from the sangat. Also met sant from Shimla who were in the area and also Kartar Singh Khalsa Bhindwanwale. From Guru-ti-taal on to Gowalier where there is a gurdwara dedicated to Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji in the fort/kila where kirtan was performed. On to Lalitpur and Dhatia and Pulsvar and Chanssi where performed kirtan to lots of piyar sangat. Met a subedhar from the military who took Baba Ji and jatha to the garrison in Bibna which is an ammunition dump. Celebrated gurpurbh here and did kirtan and parchar to the military personel who gave much respect to Baba Ji. Did gurmat parchar to hundreds of soldiers and instructed them that they are the protectors of the country - desh rakhia. On to other military bases and back to Jalandhar.
Tour
From Jalandhar to Delhi to Jaipur and on to Jodhpur to Ajmer to Uddaipur and to Gaurchalocar to Bhirwala to Ahmnabadh and to Baroda, performed gurmat kirtan in all these places and returned back to Jalandhar.
Tour
From Jalandhar to Uddaipur to Ajmair to Jaipur to Jodhpur and on to Ahmnabadh and Sagarmatle to Surinder Nagar to Durandra military gurdwara to Jamnagar to Dwarkapuri and back to Jalandhar.
Stayed at home and attended family matters for a time but once the local population heard that Baba Ji was back home they kept asking Baba Ji to do kirtan at various local gurdwaras and in sangat houses and also perform anand karaj ceremonies and rainsbaies. Whereever Baba Ji went the gurdwaras and sangats would book Baba Ji and jatha years in advance for gurpurbhs and special occasions.
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