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.
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.
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.
