AKOI

AKOI, village 4 km north of Sangrur (30°14\’N, 75°50\’E) in the Punjab, has an old historical shrine in memory of Guru Hargobind, who is believed to have visited it during his travels through the Malva region in 1616. Here he was served with devotion by one Bhai Manak Chand. After the Guru\’s departure he constructed a memorial on the spot where the Guru had stayed, on the northern edge of the village and where Gurdwara Sahib Patshahi Chhevin was later established. According to local tradition, Guru Nanak had also visited Akoi. The building constructed by Sardar Divan Singh of Badrukkhan still survives. It consists of a small room for the Guru Granth Sahib, in a long and narrow hall, with a vaulted roof. A new hall, including the sanctum was constructed adjacent to the old building in 1979. A new complex comprising the Guru ka Langar and lodgings for pilgrims has also been added. The Gurdwara owns 50 acres of land in three of the surrounding villages and is managed by a local committee under the auspices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. 1. Tara Singh, Sri Gur Tirath Sangrahi. Amritsar, n.d.
2. Thakar Singh, Giani, Sri Gurduare DarsAan. Amritsar, 1923