By Zahida Rehman Jatt
Lecturer at Deptt. of Anthropology and Archaeology 
University of Sindh, Jamshoro . 

Summers are usually very hot in the plains of central Punjab, although it rains often in monsoon season but as soon as it stops pouring, the heavy and overcast weather makes everyone sweat. It was such kind of a day in early August while we were travelling to our maternal village, 65 km away from district Gujranwala along with my Mamu (uncle) who is a senior advocate. As the roads leading to the village are in very bad shape so Mamu decided to take a longer route.  Being a part of the famous rice belt, the countryside of Gujranwala is very beautiful with lush and verdant fields sprawling across hundreds of acres. The plantation of paddy plants that locals call ‘Moonji’ was in full swing, and there were men, women and children bending in knee-deep water and sowing young saplings into the fields. 

After half an hour we reached Emna Bad, a small town 15 km away from Gujranwala that used to be a thriving trade and agricultural market before partition. It is famous for its havelis and Hindu temples, however that is not all about its charms. This town was once a Mayfair of Sikh festivals especially Kattak Purinmashi and Baisakhi in its three historically important Sikh shrines i.e. Gurudwara Khuhi Bhai Lalo, Gurudwara Chakki Sahib and Gurudwara Rori Sahib. It was this last monument that we had had an opportunity to visit.

In order to reach there, we mistakenly chose a wrong path. It was nothing just a small tract of mud that was dusty, full of potholes and brambles and it was a miracle that the vehicle passed through it without any mishap. However, the environment was serene typical of Punjabi countryside. There were some half broken old buildings on the way that looked like ghosts from the past, broken and out of use. What we eventually saw was something that was both majestic and strange if one sees the wilderness around it. The red brick building with its imposing three chhatri-like structures was like a phantom gradually rising on the horizon and getting bigger as one approached it. It was Rori Sahib, a Gurudawara that is built to commemorate an event related to rori i.e. stone pebbles and that’s how it became sacred here.

According to Encyclopedia of the Sikhs, The story of this place goes like this: When Mughal Emperor Babar entered Punjab in 1521, the founder of Sikh religion Baba Guru Nanak was present in Emna Bad town and he stayed with Bhai Lalo. When the town was captured by the armies, they also arrested some local people Baba Guru Nanak among them. According to the tradition, when the Guru was captured he was sitting on Rori (Punjabi, pebbles, small stones) and was busy in prayers. Thus, in order to commemorate this event, an imposing Gurudawara was built on the site and was named as Rori Sahib.

This Gurudawar is a large fenced structure and its entryway is a magnificence three-storied archway leading to the inner sanctum. The arched gateway is made of rust-red colored cut bricks and topped with three smaller Chhatri-like domes finally decorated with finials. Once inside, one can see a small with an inverted lotus shaped-dome and a small room with circumambulatory verandah. This building is raised over the place where Guru Nanak sat at the time of his capture, although there is no rori right now only polished marble. Then there is a large pond or sarovar, where people take bath when they gather here at the time of Baisakhi. There are some more arched passageways that enhance the beauty and grandeur of the building.

A large estate and surrounding agricultural lands have been endowed to the Guruwdarwa from the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Before partition, there used to be weeklong celebrations of Baisakhi and congregational gatherings of Sikhs from all over India. Although, the Gurudawara still hosts a large number of Sikhs at the time of Baisakhi from across the world but its past glory is somehow faded. The empty pond, and other structures seemed to echo the tales of bygone days and past splendor in hushed voices. Soon after the partition of Indo-Pak, the building was attacked by a mob and was set on fire, but it was reconstructed by the government and is now seems to have recovered from the old wounds.

  It seems true that through the virtuous touch of a pious human being even the lifeless stone pebbles can be exalted and gain a sacred status.  Somewhere, it becomes Hajar-e-Aswad (The black stone) and in Emna Bad it becomes Rori Sahib, a Sikh Gurudawra. Who knows the reality of things but the creator.