Pak’s Babe di Ber Gurdwara may open by Baisakhi

Sarna said the the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) had given in writing that renovation work will be undertaken to open the Gurdwara for the devotees. “There are 90 per cent chances that the Gurdwara could be open by this Baisakhi,” he added.

The Gurdwara,which was initially spread over a large area,has been reduced in size due to the carving out of residential colonies in surrounding areas. “But its sarovar area is intact. It is even larger than the one at Tarn Taran Sahib,” said Sarna.

During PETPB Chairman Syed Asif Hashmi’s visit to India in November 2011,the DSGMC had made an appeal for opening Babe di Ber Gurdwara Sahib. Sarna claimed that the PETPB has also authorised DSGMC to carry out maintenance work at an inn at Nankana Sahib,which has a capacity to house 2,000 devotees. “The DSGMC will bear the cost,” he said.

Located outside Sialkot along the Aik stream on Sialkot-Pasrur road,the Gurdwara building was constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is said that during his visit when he stayed under the Ber tree,Guru Nanak Dev had a conversation in Sialkot with Sufi Saint Hamza Ghaus,who had confined himself in a room and was praying that Sialkot be destructed,as a resident had backtracked from his word to dedicate his son to the saint. Guru Nanak Dev,it is said,advised the saint not to punish the whole population due to the fault of a single person.