How a Sikh traveller in 1930s recorded Ayodhya and tales of Ram in relation with Sikh Gurus
Sikh traveller Dhanna Singh however didn’t mention either the Babri mosque or any dispute over its land
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Sikh traveller Dhanna Singh who visited Ayodhya in the first half of the 20th century recorded the Sikh history associated with the city and also the tales about the birth of Ram. In less than 90 years, three historical Sikh Gurudwaras have disappeared from Ayodhya, one of which was closely related to the tales about Ram and the visit of the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, to Ayodhya as a child, according to website Gurudwara Pedia, which geotags the Sikh religious structures across India.
Sikh traveller Dhanna Singh who visited Ayodhya in the first half of the 20th century recorded the Sikh history associated with the city and also the tales about the birth of Ram. However, he did not mention either the Babri mosque or any dispute over its land in his tra.
His notes and pictures are published in the book ‘Gur Tirath Cycle Yatra by Dhanna Singh Chehal Patialavi’.
Three of these Gurudwaras are located at one place on the bank of the Sarayu river.
In April 1931, Dhanna Singh reached Ayodhya. Apart from recording Ayodhya as the birthplace of Ram, he recorded the existence of seven Gurudwaras in Ayodhya; however, only four of these now remain.
These Gurudwaras are memories of the travel of three Sikh Gurus to Ayodhya. Three of these Gurudwaras are located at one place on the bank of the Sarayu river. Dhanna Singh ‘Patialvi’, travelled on his bicycle in the 1920s and 1930s, clicking pictures and taking notes of historical Gurudwaras in South Asia.
“Dhanna Singh had noted that only four Gurudwaras were in direct control of Sikhs at that time and these four still exist. Three Gurudwaras which were in control of Mahants are no longer found. Dhanna Singh also took notes about the illegal possession of the land of Gurudwaras,” said Davinder Singh of Gurudwara Pedia.
According to Dhanna Singh, the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev – came to Ayodhya in the 16th century. The ninth Guru – Guru Teg Bahadur – had visited Ayodhya in 1670. The 10th and the last Guru – Guru Gobind Singh – came to Ayodhya at the time when the local king was Raja Maan Singh. The ruler had gifted an orchard to Guru Gobind Singh, and now Gurudwara Nazarbagh stands at this place, he says. It has a new building.
Earlier, Guru Nanak Dev had also come to the same place, and the Gurudwara is related to both gurus. It was the same Gurudwara where, according to Dhanna Singh, Guru Nanak Dev told his Muslim disciple and companion Bhai Mardana about the story of the birth of Ram.
According to Dhanna Singh, when he visited, there was another Gurudwara near Hanuman Ghari, and it was being looked after by the sect of Bairagis.
According to Dhanna Singh, the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev – came to Ayodhya in the 16th century.
According to the tale associated with this Gurudwara, Guru Gobind Singh came to Ayodhya while returning to Punjab from Patna Sahib, and he was still a child. Many monkeys gathered around Guru Gobind Singh. It led to the natives of Ayodhya believing that monkeys treated Guru Gobind Singh as an incarnation of Ram and bowed to him. This Gurudwara is no longer found in Ayodhya.
Dhanna Singh recorded the existence of two more Gurudwaras – one near Vashishtha Kund and the other near Swarg Duwari Ghat Ayodhya. Both these structures are also not found in the present-day Ayodhya.
Dhanna Singh also mentioned two more Gurudwaras in Ayodhya which he had heard about but couldn’t find during his visit.
He mentioned a total of nine Gurudwaras, including two he himself couldn’t find.
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