 |
| Saturday, August 12, 2000 |
|
 |
NESTLED deep in the Himalayas, about 25 km from the town of Leh, is the Gurdwara, Pathar Sahib. The Gurdwara was built in 1517 to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak Dev. It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev reached Leh via Sikkim, Nepal, Tibet and Yarkhand. The place is revered by both the local lamas and Sikh sangat. Currently the Army is looking after the gurdwara. As per a legend, there lived a wicked demon who terrorised the people in the area where the gurdwara is situated. The people prayed to the Almighty for help. It is said that Guru Nanak heard their woes and came to their aid. He settled down on the bank of the river below the hill where the wicked demon lived. The Guru blessed the people with sermons and became popular in the area. The locals called him Nanak Lama. The demon got into rage and decided to kill Guru Nanak Dev. |
|
Guru Nanak Dev thereafter continued his holy journey towards Srinagar via Kargil. The pathar pushed down by the demon, with the imprint of the body of Guru Nanak Dev as also the foot imprint of the demon, is at present lying in Gurdwara Pathar Sahib. It is said that since the visit of Guru Sahib (in 1517) to 1965, the local lamas held pathar sacred and offered prayers to it. To visit the gurdwara, one can take, a flight to Leh from New Delhi and stay in a hotel at Leh. As Leh is located at a high altitude, one can have breathing problems due to the paucity of oxygen. Visitors are advised to consult their doctors before embarking on this journey. The 25-km road from Leh to the Gurdwara Pathar Sahib is in good condition. Visitors can go by bus or taxi. The Gurdwara Sahib is located next to the road. |
 |
 |
One morning when the
Guru was sitting in meditation, the demon rolled down a large pathar
(boulder) from the hilltop, with the intention of killing the Guru.
The boulder came rolling down and when it touched the Guru’s body,
it melted like wax. The Guru kept on meditating unhurt and
undisturbed. Thinking that the Guru had been killed, the demon came
down and was taken aback to see the Guru deep in meditation. In a fit
of anger, he tried to push the boulder with his right foot, but as the
pathar had already melted like wax, his foot got embedded in it. On
seeing this, demon realised his own powerlessness as compared with the
spiritual powers of the great Guru. He fell at the feet of Guru Nanak
Dev and begged for forgiveness. Guru Sahib advised him to get rid of
his wicked ways and asked him to lead a life of a noble person. This
changed the life of the demon, who gave up evil deeds and started
serving the people.