MULOVAL

MULOVAL, a village 11 km west of Dhuri (30°22`N,75°53`E) in Sangrur district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who visited it in the course of one of his journeys through the Malva. According to Sikh chronicles, the Guru coming from Rajo Majra stopped near the village well and asked for water. The villagers said that the water being brackish the well had fallen into disuse and offered to bring water from another place some distance away. Guru Tegh Bahadur had the well uncovered and declared the water to be sweet. The well so sweetened is still in existence.

The Guru persuaded the villagers to sink nine more wells. He encamped in a thicket about 200 metres west of the village, where the people thronged to seek his blessing. But the village headman, Gonda, a worshipper of Sakhi Sarwar, declined the benediction. He left the Guru`s presence, but when he reached home and told his wife what had happened, she chided him for his lack of gratitude to the Guru who had blessed the entire village. Gonda recanted.

He came back to the Guru and humbly solicited him for pardon. The Guru gave him his blessing. On the site where Guru Tegh Bahadur had stopped, Gurdwara Patshahi Naumi was constructed in 1825 by Maharaja Karam Singh (1798-1845) of Patiala, who also made a land grant for its maintenance. Construction work on a new building commenced in 1944. The central hall, with the sanctum on the original site, was completed in the 1960`s. The Guru Granth Sahib is seated in the centre on domed platform of white marble with a goldplated pinnacle mounted by an umbrellalike gold finial.

There are decorative domed pavilions at the corners of the hall. The 80metre square sarovans outside the compound to the north of it. The Gurdwara, though affiliated to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, is still managed by Mahant Ranjit Singh, a follower of Sant Atar Singh of Mastuana. It has 45 acres of land attached to it. In addition to daily services, the Gurdwara runs classes for training young people in Sikh music and in the art of expounding the sacred texts. A threeday festival is held on 14, 15 and 16 Poh (2830 December) every year following a tradition of recent origin that Guru Gobind Singh had also visited the village on 15 Poh 1761 Bk/14 December 1705.

References :

1. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Gurduarian. Amritsar, 1955
2. Narotam, Tara Singh, Sri Guru Tirath Sangrahi [Reprint]. Kankhal, 1975