Dharam Dee Chaadar - Sri Guru Teg Bahadar Jee... (Final Part)

Continued...

Seva of Bhai Lakhi Rai Jee

Bhai Lakhi Rai jee, also known as Bhai Lakhi Shah jee, was a rich trader who had a transport business of import and export. Bhai Lakhi Rai jee had close links with the government and had easy access to the city because of his job. Bhai Uday jee informed Bhai Lakhi Rai jee about what happened to Sri Guru Teg Bahadar jee and his three other beloved Sikhs. On 12th November, Bhai Lakhi Rai jee brought several bullock carts loaded with cotton through Chandni Chowk. The carts travelling at considerable speed blew more dust into the air, which added to the dust from the storm, adding to the chaos and further reducing visibility. At the risk of his own life, under the cover of darkness and in the dust storm, Bhai Lakhi Rai jee, along with his three sons - Bhai Nagahiya jee, Bhai Hema jee and Bhai Haarhee jee, and Bhai Dooma jee, son of Bhai Kahna jee, were able to remove the headless body of the Guru in a cart which was loaded with cotton. Bhai Lakhi Rai jee took the body of Guru jee to his native village, Raiseena, named after his ancestor - Seena Rai. The Mughals had planned to display the Guru's body on the four gates of Delhi, and therefore it was too dangerous to openly cremate the body. So Bhai Lakhi Rai jee sett fire to his home, concealing the cremation of the Guru's body. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj was made later in history to commemorate this holy place. Underneath the place where Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee is parkaash is where Guru jee's ashes were buried. Afterwards Bhai Lakhi Rai jee, accompanied by his companions, travelled to Anandpur Sahib to pay respects to Sri Guru Gobind Rai jee and let him know that his father's body had been given the final rights.

Aftermath

The Shaheedi of Guru Teg Bahadar jee and his beloved Sikhs awoke the consciousness of people. Hindus were shaken up that the Guru had sacrificed his life for their human rights and felt a new lease of life to live and stand up. The Sikhs in Panjab were flared up with the want for delivering justice to the tyrants. The Sikh religion got a new lease of life and become stronger than ever and more determined to destroy the tyrants and restore righteousness. Aurganzeb had been utterly humiliated and embarrassed that he could not make Guru jee give up his faith. As a consequence the zeal of committing mass terror and forced conversions on the masses significantly lessened. Further embarrasment came after Aurangzeb came to know that the Police Chief Hassan Abdullah and his daughter Zebunnisa had devotion towards Guru Teg Bahadar jee and had helped Bhai Jaita jee see Guru jee in jail, carry away of the Guru jee's head and in the cremation of Guru jee's body at Raiseena. Further humilation came when he found out that the Police Chief, Hassan Abdulla, had given up his job and moved to live in Anandpur Sahib and become a devotee of Sri Gobind Rai jee. Aurangzeb had his daughter Zebunnisa killed by slow poisoning, but was unable to punish the Police Chief who was in the Guru's protection in Anandpur Sahib. On Friday 27th October 1676 the Emperor was returning from Jama Masjid. It is stated in the Mughal account in Maasir-e-Alamgiri that a Sikh of Guru Teg Bahadar jee threw two bricks on the emperor, one of which hit the throne. he was asked “Who are you?... Don’t know you know is this?” The Sikh fearlessly replied to the Emperor, "I am the Sikh of Guru Teg Bahadar jee and I know who you are."

The Building of Historical Shrines

On 11th March 1783, the Khalsa army under the leadership of Sardar Baghel Singh marched into Delhi. The Khalsa occupied the Red Fort and hoisted the Sikh flag. The Mughal emperor, Shah Aalam II, made a settlement with the Khalsa, agreeing to allow the Khalsa to erect gurdwaras on Sikh historical sites in the city and the Khalsa receive tax from the Mughal government. The Khalsa had located historical sites like Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, however they could not locate the spot where Guru Teg Bahadar jee had been beheaded. So, an announcement was made in Delhi that if anyone knew where the Guru had been beheaded to come forward. An elderly lady came forward and told Sardar Baghel Singh that her husband was the washerman who had washed the blood of the Guru from the site. The lady showed the Khalsa were the well was where Guru jee had a bath and the holy spot where Guru jee was beheaded. The elderly lady was rewarded by the Khalsa for her family's service. From April to November 1783 the construction took place of the Gurdwara at that site, where today is Gurdwara Sees Ganj Sahib. It was subsequently destroyed later in history and rebuilt in 1857 by the Raja Saroop Singh of Jind. In 2000, the Police station (Kotwali) where Guru jee had been detained was handed over to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.