Takht Sri Damdama Sahib - Location, Timings

Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Gurdwara, Bathinda Overview

Located in Bathinda, Punjab, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib is one of the 5 takhts in Sikhism. Takhts, also called Seats of Temporal Authority are religious places which hold significant importance in Sikh religion. The one in discussion is where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, assembled and instituted the Holy Book of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The book is the only thing which the Sikhs worship. Not a person, picture or any statue, just Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Holy Book which is the compilation of the hymns, teaching and preaching of the Sikh Gurus and some other people.

Sri Damdama Sahib was recognised as the 4th Takht of Sikhism in November of 1966 by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and 5th Takht of Sikhism by the Government of India in April of 1999. Guru Gobind Singh Ji wanted to make this place a literary hub and read and wrote a lot during his stay here in 1706, which lasted nearly a year. He wanted to make a literary pool at this place so that no Sikh would remain illiterate.

It was at this place that Guru Gobind Singh Ji revised and finalised Guru Granth Sahib Ji or the Adi Granth, which was originally compiled by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, and added the verses of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the ninth Guru and his father.

Damdama means a place to breathe and find peace, which is why Guru Gobind Sigh Ji came here after fighting a tumultuous battle against the Mughals and having his sons die a tragic yet heroic death with two of them- Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh- being bricked alive in Sarhind, now known as Fatehgarh Sahib, and Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh dying leading the Sikh armies to battle.

After the death of his 2 youngest sons in Sarhind, Guru Gobind Singh Ji sent a Zafarnama to Aurangzeb, calling him out on his dishonour of not keeping his words, which he etched in the Holy Quran, the Holy Book of Muslims, and telling him how despite his conniving tricks and huge army of a lakh soldiers being sent against him and his Sikh army of only a handful, Aurangzeb and the Mughals failed miserably in their mission of capturing Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Open Days & Darshan Timings

The Takht is open all 7 days of the week, starting from 1.30 AM in the morning till 9.30 PM in the night when Guru Granth Sahib is ceremoniously kept back in its chamber.

Time required

A lot of people feel at peace when they visit a Gurdwara and listen to the Kirtan. It depends on the individual or the group of individuals visiting the Gurdwara as to how long they would like to spend time inside. Most people visit the Gurdwara, sit for some time to listen to hymns, have langar, and roam about the Gurdwara to marvel at the architecture, artefacts, and landmark spots inside the Gurdwara that may be kept for general public to see.

To visit Gurdwara Damdama Sahib, one should ideally spare 1-1.5 hours.

Historical & Religious Importance

Gurdwara Damdama Sahib is where Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed after battling with the Mughal armies and fighting Aurangzeb’s cheap tricks of capturing him, all while losing his four sons. He stayed here for nearly a year and named and blessed the town of Talwandi Sabo as Guru Ki Kashi, a hub of knowledge and learning.

The place where Sahibzada Ajit Singh breathed his last is now known as Gurdwara Katalgarh, situated in Chamkaur, Punjab. Sahibzada Fateh Singh was 6 years old when he willingly gave up his life in honour of his religion and was probably the youngest one in history. Both of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s older sons- Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh- who were leading the Sikh armies to the battleground, were no more than 18 and 14 years of age, respectively, when they fight with valour and bravery, the incident that has been beautifully captured in “Shahidani Wafa” by an Urdu poet Allayhar Khan Jogi.

Baba Deep Singh Ji was appointed as the 1st Jathedar or Head of this holy shrine. He was utterly devoted to Sikhism and its teachings and believed in community service. He spent a lot of his time doing Seva. He also sent copies of Guru Granth Sahib Ji to other religious places and copies of Sikh scriptures to various Sikh communities.

Dress Code

Usually, Gurdwaras don’t have a dress code. It is recommended to wear loose-fitting clothes in which one can comfortably sit while crossing their legs and on the floor. Most of one's legs should be covered.
Before entering, footwear needs to be removed and deposited in the racks provided. In most Gurdwaras, there is a proper shoe-rack hall in which people volunteer to do Seva and hand out tokens to you when you deposit your footwear so that they can be easily collected later.
In the main Prayer Hall and Langar Hall, one has to make sure to keep their heads covered with a cloth, stole, scarf, or handkerchief. While Sikh males cover their heads with Patka or turbans, others can use a handkerchief or take one from the Gurdwara itself. Caps or hats aren’t allowed in Sikh holy shrines and are seen as a mark of disrespect.

Location

The Gurdwara is located near Sangat, Talwandi Road, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab- 151302

What to Carry

Clothes should be packed depending on the season and the number of days one wishes to spend travelling to the Gurdwara. Don’t forget to carry water for your commute during the hot North Indian summers. Once you reach the holy shrine, water and food are free for everyone. Don’t forget to relish the Karha Prasad, a delectable mixture of flour, clarified butter and, sugar. Langar is served by the Gurdwara officials and volunteers at the service community hall throughout the day regardless of caste or community.

How To Reach Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Gurdwara

If one is travelling from New Delhi, then a train journey would take approximately 6 hours to reach Bhatinda. It is advised to stay at Bhatinda and visit some other places or Gurdwaras on the day of your arrival and leave to see Gurdwara Damdama Sahib the next day, as it is at a further distance of 6 hours.