Situated in Alamgir village of Ludhiana, Sri Manji Sahib Gurudwara is a famous and popular religious attraction of Punjab. It attracts followers of Guru Gobind Singh as well as hordes of tourists.

The gurudwara is at a distance of 10 km from Ludhiana city and is an example of religious accord that was seen in the past.

It is believed that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh stayed in this place for a short period of time. Two Muslim followers of Guru Gobind Singh named Nabi Khan and Gani Khan protected him against the Mughals here.

It is said that after reaching this village, Guru Gobind Singh shot an arrow into the land upon the request of an old lady. A water stream came out of this ground and it is today known by the name of Tirsar. A devoted follower of Guru Gobind presented him a horse on this occasion.

This Gurudwara has a tank which is auspicious. The water of this tank is said to be sacred because it provides relief to devotees who take a bath in the water with full faith and belief. A popular and big fair is held at this Gurudwara in the month of December every year.

History of Gurudwara Manji Sahib

Gurudwara Sri Manji Sahib, which is also known by the name of Alamgir Sahib, is located in a village of Ludhiana district by the same name Alamgir. Once, the mother and four sons of Guru Gobind Singh were slaughtered by the Mughals. At this time, Sri Gobind Singh Ji was called uchh da pir. He left the place and reached Alamgir on 14 January, 1761. When he reached here, a follower of his, who was a horse trader of the village named Bhai Nigahia Singh, offered him a horse.

While traversing the area, guruji asked an old lady who was picking cow dunk for some water to take a bath. The old lady addressed the guru as pir ji and told him that there is no water in this place as this is a place of shell. She told guruji that in a place nearby there’s a well from where the guru can get water, but due to presence of a python there, no one goes to that well.

After listening to her, guruji went to that place and hit the python with an arrow to make him mortal so that he can be exempted from further transmigration. The python fell into the well and the water become dirty. Again there was no water in the village.

Then Guru Gobind Ji hit an arrow in the ground and from there came out a water spring. With this water, all the Sikhs of the village could take a bath. After watching this miracle, the old lady fell to the feet of Guru Gobind and became his follower.

At that moment she said Guru Gobind is a wonderful Peer on the earth. She was suffering from leprosy and was avoided by everyone. Guru Ji asked her to take a bath under the water spring with full faith and belief. She followed the instructions and her disease was cured.

Later, Guru Ji said that whosoever takes a bath in this holy water spring with belief in God, it will relive him or her from all the sadness and suffering. After this incident, Guru Gobind Ji went to Rajkot on his horse, which was given to him by the horse trader.

Story of Religious Tolerance

Gurudwara Shri Manji Sahib Alamgir is a holy place for Sikhs and therefore, a popular tourist attraction. The gurudwara lies 10 km from Ludhiana city and it is an example of the religious harmony that prevailed at that time. This place also speaks of brotherhood of those times when Guru Gobind Singh was protected and given shelter by Muslim devotees Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan.

The well that guruji dug here is now an auspicious tank and the water here is considered sacred by devotees till today. Followers of Sikh consider the water holy and a dip here is said to help attain mukti or salvation.

A popular fair is held here in December.

Architecture

This Gurudwara is surrounded by a scared tank, which contains holy water. There are a total of four entrances to the Gurudwara, which is suggestive of the significance of receiving and candidness. There is a small lotus-shaped auditorium in the Gurudwara along with a four-story entrance way that opens on a vast cemented court. On the crossroads here is a building known as divan hall and it has a huge verandah around it. Next to the hall does a Prakash Asthan, which has a basement comprise the original view of Manji Sahib. A three-story vaulted tower here has arched battlement at the corners above Prakash Asthan.

Visitor Information

In keeping with the rules observed at all Sikh Gurudwaras worldwide, the Sri Manji Sahib is open to all person regardless of their religion, color, creed or sex. The Gurudwara is open from morning till evening without any entry fees at all. However, there are some rules one has to follow while visiting this place:

• Maintaining the cleanliness of this consecrated space while in it:
• Upon entering the location, it’s important to remove one's shoes because this is a place of worship. One has to also wash the feet in a small water pool built at the entrance of the Gurudwara, right by the gate;
• One cannot consume alcohol, eat meat or smoking cigarettes/drugs while in the shrine.
• Dressing appropriately:
• Wearing a head covering as a sign of respect is a must here. The Gurudwara provides head scarves for visitors who have not brought a suitable covering);
• How to behave:
• One must also sit on the ground while in the Darbar Sahib as a sign of deference to both the Guru Granth Sahib and God.

Festivals

One of the most important festivals celebrated here is Baisakhi. It arrives in the second week of April (usually the 13th). Sikhs celebrate the founding of Khalsa on this day and it is celebrated with fervor at Sri Manji Sahib.