KATTU, village 12 km southeast of Barnala (30°22`N, 75°32`E), in Sarigrur district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine, Gurdwara Sahib Guru Sar Patshahi IX, commemorating the visit of Guru Tcgh Bahadur. The Gurdwara, marking the site of the Guru`s camp in what used to be a thicket by the side of a pool of water, is about 1 km northeast of the village. Hence the name Guru Sar, or the Guru`s Pool, although what is left of it now is but a slight depression in the adjoining fields. According to local tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur came here in 1665. He held a discourse with a recluse, Dhian Das, who lived in a thatched hut near by. The villagers also assembled to listen to the Guru expound the teachings of Guru Nanak. Guru Tegh Bahadur summed up by saying what is vividly expressed in his hymns in measure Dhanasari: "Why dost thou run to the woods in search of Him; He, the allpervasive yet everdetached, abides within thee..." (GG,684). A Gurdwara was established here in course of time. The old building, constructed in the early years of the present century, comprises rows of rooms on three sides of a brickpaved courtyard. The foundation of a more spacious building was laid on 31 March 1977. This new complex has a divan hall with a sanctum lopped by a lotus dome. Tlie Gurdwara owns over 50 acres of land and is managed by a local committee under the auspices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. An important annual event is the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
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AKAR, a village in the interior of Patiala district, possesses a historical shrine called Gurdwara Nim Sahib. The Gurdwara commemorates the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur who, during one of his journeys through the Malva territory, put up here near a mm (margosa) tree, which still exists. The leaves of one of the boughs of this tree which leans over the shrine are tasteless while those on the rest of the tree possess their natural bitter taste. The miracle is attributed to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who is said to have pulled off a twig from this branch and used it to cleanse his teeth.
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BHIKHI, popularly pronounced Bhikkhi (30° 3`N, 75° 33`E), an old town along the SunamBathinda road in Bathinda district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who halted here for several days during one of his travels through the Malva region. Desu, the local chief, who had been a follower of Sultan Sakhi Sarwar, became a Sikh and served the Guru with devotion. Guru Tegh Bahadur gave him five arrows to be kept as a memento.
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DHILVAN, village 25 km from Barnala (30° 23`N, 75° 34`E), is sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who, according to local tradition, stayed here for several months in the course of one of his journeys across the Malva country. Large numbers of people in the area were converted to his teaching. Gurdwara Patshahi Nauvin, commemorating his visit, is on the southeastern outskirts of the village. The building comprises Tap Asthan, seat of meditation, marking the site where Guru Tegh Bahadur used to sit in contemplation, a divan hall and the Guru ka Langar.



