BODAL,

BODAL, village 4 km south of Dasuya (31°49`N. 75°39`E) in Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) who once visited here during a hunting expedition and rested under a garna tree (Capparis horrida) for some time. Bhai Chuhar, a Muslim bard of the village, entertained him by playing on his rebeck. The Guru advised him to learn to perform kirtan, i.e. the singing of sacred hymns. The tree about 200 metres southwest of the village under which Guru Hargobind had sat came to be known as Gama Sahib.

Gurdwara Garna Sahib was first established during the time of SardarJodh Singh (d. 1816), leader of the Ramgarhia misi, in whose territory Bodal then lay. Later, Bhai ishar Singh Ramgarhia of Taqipur, a village 6 km northeast of Bodal, constructed the present marblefloored octagonal domed room with the sanctum in the middle and a covered passage around it for circumambulation. The old garna tree still stands close to it. Further additions to the building have been made during recent times.

An imposing threestoreyed gateway came up in 1972; a spacious mosaicfloored divan hall was constructed in 1980; and a new dining hall was added to Guru ka Langar in 1984. The Gurdwara is administered by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee through a local committee. Besides the daily services and celebration of major Sikh anniversaries, a religious fair is held on the occasion of Baisakhi (mid April) every year.