Talwandi Sabo and its significance

Historical importance

The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, stayed at Talwandi Sabo for a while after the Sikhs fought several battles with the Mughals. ‘Damdama’ means a resting place. It is here that Guru Gobind Singh prepared the full version of the Sikh scriptures, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, in 1705.

Talwandi Sabo was also given the name ‘Guru ki Kashi’ by Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh, the ninth Guru of Sikhs, as he wanted to ensure that none of his sangat (congregation) should remain illiterate, said Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Baldev Singh Chunga. Talwandi Sabo was first visited by Guru Nanak Dev during his religious journey, later by the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur, followed by Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh’s weapons are still preserved at the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Gurdwara.

One of the five takhts

Takht Sri Damdama Sahib was recognised as one of the five Takhts of Sikhism on November 18, 1966, after Punjab was made an independent state. This was done after the SGPC passed a resolution on the demand of the Sikh sangat, SGPC member Chunga said. However, it was declared as the fifth Takht by the Government of India in April 1999 during the tricentennial celebrations of the formation of the Khalsa. Takht Damdama Sahib has 10 gurdwaras within its premises, including the Likhansar gurdwara, Jand Sahib, Manji Sahib, Baba Deep Singh, Bhora Sahib etc. It also houses the headquarters of Nihangs.

Political conferences

Like Amritsar is famous for its Diwali celebrations and Anandpur Sahib for Hola Mohalla, so is Talwandi Sabo for its Baisakhi celebrations, SGPC members said. For decades, political parties like Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Congress, and SAD (Amritsar) have been organising political conferences here. In 2015 and 2016, even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organised political conferences here.

However, in December 2017, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh appealed to political parties to stop organising political conferences at Shaheedi Jor Mela at Fatehgarh Sahib, which is observed to commemorate the martyrdom day of Baba Fateh Singh and Baba Zorawar Singh, sons of Guru Gobind Singh. All political parties, except SAD (Amritsar), stopped organising political conferences at Fatehgarh Sahib from December 2017. From 2018 onwards, Congress and AAP stopped organising political conferences even at Talwandi Sabo, Maghi Mela in Muktsar and at Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib. SAD (Badal), however, continued to hold conferences at all these places, except Fatehgarh Sahib, while SAD (Amritsar) continued its earlier practice. This year, only SAD (Amritsar) will be organising a political conference at Talwandi Sabo with SAD (Badal) deciding against doing so citing the plight of farmers reeling under crop losses due to untimely rain and harvest delays. The party cadre was also busy with the upcoming Jalandhar bypoll.

Importance of Baisakhi

According to Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh, Talwandi Sabo was almost a desert when Guru Gobind Singh visited the place and people were largely dependent on rain for agriculture. However, after Guru’s visit, the area became prosperous and green due to which they were able to celebrate the harvest festival on Baisakhi.

“When Guru Gobind Singh came to this place, it was almost a desert and people were largely dependent on rain. Landlords had wells named Sardaran da khooh , Gillan wala khooh etc from where lower caste people were not allowed to take water. Guru sahab stopped this discrimination and got many wells dug in the area…he stayed here for a long time,” Prof(Dr) Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, pro vice-chancellor of Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, said. “With availability of water and masses following his teachings and principles, a desert became a green area…and hence were able to harvest crops around Baisakhi to celebrate the festival,” he added.