A day out at Gurdwara Tibbi Sahib

Gurdwara Tibbi Sahib is a historic place of worship on the banks of the Sutlej in Rupnagar. It was here that Bhai Udai Singh; one of the followers of Guru Gobind Singh, fought valiantly and attained martyrdom in the fierce battle with the Mughals in December 1705 in an effort to evacuate Baba Ajit Singh , the son of the 10th Sikh master.

The other day, my wife and I visited the gurdwara. As we reached, a marriage party was coming out through the main gate. Everybody was in beautiful attire and cheerful. They were busy taking selfies and posing for photographers. We entered the gurdwara and were mesmerised by the well maintained lush lawns full of flowers, particularly the marigold, in bloom. We sat in the lawn for some time enjoying the winter sun and listening to the shabads (hymns).

As we entered the hall of the gurdwara, we found the ‘Anand Karaj’ (wedding) ceremony of another couple was in progress. We mingled with the baraatis and visitors. Photographers and videographers were busy capturing memorable moments for the family. After paying obeisance, we came out through the side door.

The gurdwara is situated at a height on the banks of the river, offering a panoramic view of the Sutlej and its barrage, forest reserve and wetland. The Ropar wetland is one of the three wetlands of Punjab and is home to more than 150 types of local and migratory birds. Bird watching is a treat in this picturesque place.

After some time, we saw the bridegroom and bride head out of the hall. It was a quick ceremony. The members of the wedding party were in a celebratory mood and geared up for a dance session. The bride stopped for a while near the foot bath. She didn’t want her beautiful red-coloured lehnga to get wet. A thought crossed my mind on how much thought, effort and money goes in to decide on the wedding attire. Many a times, it is because of peer pressure that parents make a huge investment on this attire that the bride dons once in a lifetime.

Three family members helped her with the bridal attire while she crossed the foot bath and slowly the baraatis moved out of the gurdwara.

Soon after the wedding party left, another group made its entry into the gurdwara in a somber mood. They had come to attend a bhog (funeral service) ceremony. The same granthi (priest) who had solemnised the Anand Karaj a few moments earlier promptly shifted to Antim Ardas (final prayer) mode.

Having watched different shades of life – celebration and mourning – all in the same day at the gurdwara, we headed home, reflecting on the memorable moments of this journey.

HAVING WATCHED DIFFERENT SHADES OF LIFE – CELEBRATION AND MOURNING – ALL IN THE SAME DAY AT THE GURDWARA, WE HEADED HOME, REFLECTING ON THE MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF THIS JOURNEY