Roots of 1st Sikh Raj in Punjab traced to Chappar Chiri gurdwara

MOHALI: Fateh Jung Gurdwara at Chappar Chiri near Mohali goes back to the first Sikh Raj in Punjab established by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. A beri tree where Wazir Khan, governor of Sirhind, was hanged upside down before being beheaded by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur still exists at the gurdwara (now inside premises of a school), said Surmukh Singh one of the organisers of Gurdwara committee.

He said, "This year we will be celebrating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev to celebrate the conquest of Sikhs over Mughals. Gurdwara will be illuminated to commemorate the first Sikh Guru and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev will be spread across the sangat."

Today, the gurdwara caters to devotees of two villages, Choti and Bari Chappar Chiri.

While narrating the history of the gurdwara, Surmukh said the Chappar Chiri battle between the Sikhs, led by Banda Singh Bahadur and Wazir Khan, the imperial faujdar of Sirhind took place in May 1710 . The latter was killed and the Mughal army was routed.

The Sikhs occupied Sirhind and Baba Banda Bahadur operated from this spot during the battle. No memorial, however, existed to commemorate the historic event till the 1950s when the two villages jointly established a gurdwara.

In the 1970s, a new hall was added, which now houses Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The old building is now being used as a primary school. Another small room constructed recently is destined to become a Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Library. The gurdwara is managed by a committee representing the two villages, said Surmukh.

Wazir Khan (died 1710, real name Mirza Askari) was governor of Sirhind, administering a territory of the Mughal empire between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. Wazir Khan is noted for his conflicts with the Christians and became infamous for ordering the execution of Guru Gobind Singh's young sons (Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh) in 1705.

In 2011, Punjab government established Baba Banda Singh Memorial at Chappr Chrii where Fateh Burj, a 328 feet tower, in a memorial spread over 20 acres, is dedicated to the establishment of the Sikh Misls in a large part of India in 1711. Fateh Burj, which commemorates the victory of Banda Singh Bahadur over Wazir Khan, was inaugurated with much fanfare by former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2011. Set up at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore, the memorial made it to the heritage map of India.