DES RAJ. BHAI, a Khatri Sikh of Amritsar, was entrusted with the supervision of the reconstruction of the Harimandar during the sixties and seventies of the eighteenth century. Nothing is known about his early life or family except that he originally came from Sursingh village, 30 km southwest of Amritsar, from where he migrated to the town and flourished in business, with a reputation for honesty and truthfulness. When the Sikhs sacked Sirhind in January 1764 and allocated several hundred thousands rupees from the plunder for the restoration of Sri Harimandar Sahib at Amritsar, demolished by Ahmad Shah Durrani two years earlier, they assigned Bhai Des Raj to undertake the reconstruction.
DAUDHAR, village 22 km southeast of Moga (30° 48`N, 75° 10`E) in Faridkot district, claims a historical shrine called Gurdwara Patshahi Pahli the Chhevin (first and sixth), commemorating the visits of Guru Nanak and Guru Hargobind, Nanak VI. Situated on a sandy mound amidst cultivated fields about one kilometre to the northwest of the village, the Gurdwara is referred to in the Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh as Gobindgarh, but is locally known as simply Kutia, i.e. a cottage.
