INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

HISTORY OF THE GURDWARA COMMITTEE
Assessment lists for taxes on the annual value of buildings belonging to Nichibagh
and Gurubagh Gurdwara between 1927 and 1940 inform us that up to 1932 the two
shrines were in the care of a Nirmala Mahant named Mahakund Singh, along with his
two disciples Ishwer Singh and Sunder Singh. The ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur
was officially registered as the chieftain (malik) of both places and the temple buildings
were recorded as “Sadhu residences”. 166
Elderly community members who resided in Varanasi during the 1930s and
1940s recollected that Gurubagh Gurdwara, in memory of Guru Nanak, was taken
care of by an Udasin ascetic, while the Nirmala mahant was in charge of Nichibagh
and most likely exercised administrative control of both shrines. The ascetics at Gurubagh
Gurdwara supported themselves with land properties. One interlocutor
claimed the gurdwara owned around 52 bigha of land, corresponding to thirty acres,
which was gradually sold out to Rama Krishna Mission, Central School, Annie Besant
Theosophical Society and other purchasers. Revenues were also collected from fruit
trade. A common reminiscence of Gurubagh is the luxuriant greenery surrounding
the gurdwara. The Guru’s garden was a forest with jujube, bamboos, rose-apple and
nim trees and large numbers of guava, mango, lemon, and tamarind trees were
grown. The gurdwara of Gurubagh was only a small room with a platform that
marked out the place where Guru Nanak occupied his seat. An elderly man, who in
his teens was a regular visitor in the gurdwara, remembered that in the 1930s the
“sadhus” in Gurubagh used to keep Guru Granth Sahib wrapped in cloth on a small
table but did not know how to read the Gurmukhi script. In the evening they were
performing an Arti ceremony with oil-lamps and bells and distributed sanctified food
made of chickpeas (chana) to people.
According to official records, ten Nirmala sants founded in 1932 a managing
committee to supervise the two buildings at Nichibagh and Gurubagh. 167 The mahant
Mahakund Singh died and his successor Ishwer Singh apparently saw the need for
administrative changes. From a letter signed by an official at the Municipal Corporation
in 1949 it is evident that most of the members of the temple committee were of
old age and expired within a ten-year period. As stated in this letter, on his own violation
Mahant Ishwar Singh decided to hand over the administration and rights of the
166
See Assessment List for Taxes on the Annual Value of Buildings and Lands, for House No. CK 58/2
(old 37/24) and B. 21/10 (old 21/5,6) for 1927 ‒ 1935 and 1945 ‒ 1951. All historical records between
year 1927 and 1976 are kept in Maha Palika, the archive of the Municipal Corporation in
Varanasi, whereas documents after 1976 are kept at the local police offices (thana) for the wards
of the city.
167
The names listed are Makund Singh Kumar, Nand Lal, Sahel Rai Bahadur, Ishwar Singh,
Sardar Ishwar Singh, M.B.EB Bisheshwar Singh, Sardar Gopal Singh, Sardar Ram Singh, B. Ram
Narain Singh and L.B. Jayanti. See Assessment List for Taxes on the Annual Value of Buildings and
Lands for House No. CK 58/2 (old 37/24) and B. 21/10 (old 21/5,6) for the periods 1927 ‒ 1935 and
1935 ‒ 1940. The establishment of the gurdwara committee is found in the enclosed File no. 2640,
8/2, 1932.
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008