DINA, village 15 km south of Nihalsinghvala (30° 35`N, 75° 16`E) in presentday Faridkot district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, who, after evacuating Anandpur in December 1705, came here and stayed a few days. Chaudhari Shamir and Lakhmir, grandsons of the local chief, Rai Jodh, who had fought on the side of Guru Hargobind in the battle of Mahraj in December 1634, served the Guru with devotion. A few hundred warriors from the surrounding districts joined Guru Gobind Singh here.
According to tradition, it was from Dina that the Guru despatched his famous letter in Persian, Zafarnamah, lit. Letter of Victory, to Emperor Aurangzib through Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh. The place mentioned in the Zafarnamah is, however, Kangar, 2 km south of Dina. The commemorative shrine established here was named Gurdwara Lohgarh Sahib. The old building raised by Raja Harindar Singh of Faridkot in 1934 was replaced by the present complex constructed by the followers of Sant Gurmukh Singh Karsevavale during the 1980`s.
The sanctum at the far end of the divan hall has above it four storeys of rooms, with the dome at the top having a gilded pinnacle. The sarovar, holy tank, also constructed by the ruler of Faridkot, is to the west of the main building. The Gurdwara is managed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Besides the daily services and observance of major Sikh anniversaries, a religious fair is held every year on the occasion of Maghi, the first of the Bikrami month ofMagh usually corresponding with 1314 January.
References :
1. Tara Singh, Sri Gur Tirath Sangrahi. Amritsar, n.d.
2. Thakar Singh, Giam, Sri Gurduare Darshan. Amritsar, 1923
