INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

dard is believed to control and cast out the evil forces of the possessed bodies. Those
who are cured and have had their wishes come true at this gurdwara will in return
donate money and give threads, bangles, and colourful cloths to be tied around Nishan
Sahib.
Religious souvenirs for sale at Baba Vadbhag Singh’s Dehra Sahib in Himachal Pradesh
Another site within the temple complex is Vadbhag Singh’s place of meditation
(tapasthan) at Gurdwara Manji Sahib. This site also holds a Nishan Sahib of a smaller
size and is known for staging Akhand path of Guru Granth Sahib, one after another,
beside the main shrine. When I visited the gurdwara in 2004 I was requested to do
matha tekna and sit a while before the seat of Vadbhag Singh. A Sikh attendant then
placed a metal instrument shaped as a hand over my head and gently hit my skull
with it three times. As I was told later by visiting clients, if any ghost, spirit, or bad
affect from the evil eye was hiding in my body it would surface and start to play
when struck by Vadbhag Singh’s hand. I was fortunately free from troubles, but all
were not so lucky. The young woman next in line to me sat down, untied her hair,
and began to sway her head as soon as the metal hand touched her head. On the
backside of the shrine a man possessed by a malicious ghost (bhutpret) was crawling
back and forth, licking and spitting on the ground, and screaming abusive comments
to visitors passing by. Relatives to these and other patients were assured not only of
the existence in evil spirits and ghosts, but also the power and blessing of Vadbhag
Singh’s place to cast out the most severe kind of possession.
Annually, during the festival of Holi, the Dehra Sahib of Vadbhag Singh attracts
thousands of devotees from all over Northern India for a celebration at a large fair. In
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008