After 50 years, Rajput community attend Shaheedi Sabha at Chamkaur Sahib in homage to Guru Gobind Singh
A historic battle was fought in Chamkaur in 1704 where a small number of Sikhs took on the huge army of the Mughals and the hill kings.
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Rajput community members during their visit to Chamkaur Sahib.
After nearly 50 years, the Ghorewaha Kachwaha Rajput community representatives visited Chamkaur Sahib in Punjab’s Rupnagar for the first time to relish their rich history with the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh.
Following the events sparked by the attack of the Mughal army and kings of the hills on Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh and his band of followers were soon surrounded in a castle at Chamkaur Sahib, where they had taken refuge. The historic battle of Chamkaur in December 1704 was fought here where a small number of Sikhs took on the huge army of the Mughals and the hill kings. Guru’s elder sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh, 18, and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, 14, were killed. The castle called ‘Chamkaur Di Ghari’ belonged to Rai Budhi Chand.
“We are thankful to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for inviting the Kshatriya community to participate in the Shaheedi Sabha to commemorate the memory of Ghorewaha Kachwaha Rajput Rai Budhi Chand, who generously provided his Garhi (Castle) to Guru Gobind Singh during the historic battle of Chamkaur and laid his life while protecting the Guru Sahib owing to the Kshatriya code of honour,” Rai Harendra Singh Ghorewaha, the descendant of Rai Buddhi Chand, told The Indian Express.
Thakur Jitender Singh Waryah, secretary of International United Rajpoot Front; Joginder Singh Salaria, founder of Pehal Charitable; and Rana Yogeshwar Pratap Singh, founding Member of Rajput Community of Canada, were also present at the event held on December 23.
Organisation secretary Kshatriya Parishad, Archit Singh, Rashtriya Mulnivasi Mahasangh state president Prashant Singh Madhad and Dr Yashpal Tanwar from Ayuwan Sansthan had met former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna in efforts to explore their history associated with Guru Gobind Singh.
While Sikh folklore is not kind to Mughal and Hill kings, the history of Ghorewaha Kachwaha Rajput families, who enjoyed the company of Guru Gobind Singh, is documented in Sikh history.
“Hill kings took an oath on the cow, and Mughal governors took an oath on the Quran, after which both sides reached an agreement that if Guru Gobind Singh left Anadpur Sahib, then there would be no war. They broke their oaths. But there were Muslims like Nabhi Khan and Ghani Khan and devotees like Rai Budhi Chand who came forward to serve Guru Gobind Singh ji. This part of history is more important these days and needs to be relished when distorted historical interpretations are used to create a divide between communities,” said Takht Damdma Sahib Talwandi Sabo Jathedar Ginai Harpreet Singh.
“My ancestors’ family relations with the contemporary king of Bilaspur, who allied with Mughals, spoiled due to our devotion to Guru Gobind Singh. Our community used to participate in the Shaheedi Sabha at Chamkaur Sahib. But the tradition stopped around 50 years ago. We are happy to revive it, and we will continue to come every year to revive the ancient tradition of the Rajput community, honouring the martyrs of the Chamkaur war during the Shaheedi Sabha,” Rai Sanjeev Singh of Bhabhour, the descendant of Rai Ratan Chand Katoch, where Guru Gobind Singh ji stayed for 13 months after leaving Anadpur Sahib.
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