KOTKAPURA

KOTKAPURA (30°35`N, 74°49`E), town in FarTdkot district of the Punjab, was founded by Ghaudhari Kzpura (d. 1708), a Brar chief in the country south of the River Sutlej and an ancestor of the Faridkot family. When after evacuating Anandpur Guru Gobind Singh arrived here in December 1705 pursued by the fuujddr of Sirhind, Kapura met him with presents and provided him with a guide to lead him to the pool of Khidrana, now Muktsar, across a waterless waste. Chaudhari Kapura, who subsequently had himself initiated into the Khalsa fold receiving the name of Kapur Singh, wa.s assassinated in 1708 by Tsa Khan, Marijii Rajput chief of Kol Tse Khan in Firozpur district. His grandson, Jodh Singh, built a fort near Kot Kapura in 1766, but fell the following year in a battle with Raja Amar Singh of Patiala. Kot Kapura eventually came under the control of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was restored to tlie Faridkot family only in 1847. Gurdwara Sahib Patshahl Dasviri, in the middle of the town, marks the site where Guru Gobind Singh had put up camp on reaching here in 1705. The present building, the cornerstone of which was laid by Raja Harindar Singh of Faridkot on 30 January 1937, comprises an octagonal sanctum in the centre of a highceilingcd, marblefloored hall which has an octagonal interior but looks squareshaped from the outside with only its corners slightly slashed to give it four additional sides. A large semiglobular dome covers the entire sanctum and a verandah encircles the hall. The sarovarat the back is also octagonal in shape. The Gurdwara is managed by Nihangs of the Buddha Dal. 1. . Gian Singh, Gidni, Twankh Gurduaiian.Amritsar, n.d.
2. Tara Singh, S`ii Gum Tirnlh Sav^mhi. Kanklial, 1975 M.G.S.