MALDA

MALDA (25°7\’N, 88-11\’E), a district town of West Bengal situated on the banks of the River Mahananda, is sacred to both Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur, who vistited it in the course of their travels through the eastern region. A Sikh shrine once existed here in Sarbari area of Old Malda, but with the development of new Malda town across the river, Old Malda declined in importance and population, and all that was left of the Sikh shrine was a site with an old well and two platforms, one dedicated to the First Guru and the second to the Ninth Guru.

Native Sikhs from the neighbouring Purnea (now Katihar) district of Bihar used to assemble here once in an year to celebrate the birthday of Guru Nanak. In the mid 1970\’s efforts were initiated to reconstruct the gurudwara. The shrine is now called Sri Prayag Sahib, Sarbari, Old Malda, though an old marble slab, acquired from Bihari Sikhs and kept in Gurdwara Singh Sabha, describes it as Gurdwara Nima Sarai, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, Old Malda.

References :

1. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Gurduarian. Amritsar, n.d.
2. Narotam, Tara Singh, Sri Guru Tirath Sangrahi. Kankhal, 1975