Unique shrine of saint where liquor is offered as prasad

Lead story

Prayers are offered by childless mothers to be blessed with children, unemployed to get jobs, people in distress for happiness and success in life. Once their wish is fulfilled, they offer liquor as 'prasad' (offering) at the shrine of Smadh Baba Roda Ji in Wadala Veeram Bhoma village in Amritsar district.

Strange as it may sound, offering of liquor makes the shrine, situated ahead of Majitha town, about 30 km from Amritsar, unique.

Devotees arrive here irrespective of their caste, creed or religious identity. There is no discrimination among people who attend the celebration. The liquor offering is mixed in a container, irrespective of its origin and kind, and prepared into a heady potion and distributed as 'prasad' among the devotees. Assumed as tradition, the practice goes on uninterrupted. Till today, devotees offer bottles of liquor at the samadh.

Gurnek Singh, a caretaker of the shrine, who is a distant relative of Baba Roda, said devotees visit here from far off places, including Himachal Padesh.

Elaborating on how the tradition of offering liquor commenced, he said Baba Roda ji was born in a landlord family and remained celibate. From an early age, he was inclined towards the spiritual path of 'Bhakti'. Once, a resident of the village, Ujagar Singh, met him to pray for the birth of a child in his family. His request was answered as he was blessed with a son, Ravel Singh. In return, he came with an offering of five bighas of land, the term was then popular to measure agricultural land. He refused to accept the piece of land and asked him to donate a bottle of liquor daily as long as he liked. Gurnek Singh added that Baba Roda Ji never consumed liquor in his life.

Over a century ago, Baba Roda Shah, lived on the outskirts of Bhoma village and cured many ailments as well as counselled those in distress.

People having faith in Baba Roda Ji are seen offering prayers for jobs, resolving legal and court cases, marital happiness, a child, wishing to go abroad, find a seat in an institution and other many weird wishes, to come true.

In some religions, liquor is prohibited but here it is not a strange sight to see devotees, including women and children hold glasses, during a two-day Mela (fair) from March 23.

Carektakers of the shrine said the ancestral village of Baba Roda was Dhiman Damodar in adjoining Gurdaspur district.

It is believed that Baba Roda Ji moved to a village near Bhoma in 1896 and lived on the outskirts. His sister was married in this village.

People believe Baba Roda Ji started blessing to help people in distress. He passed away here in 1924.

A continuous Jyot (ghee-fed lamp) keeps lighting the samadh for 24-hours and langar is served among devotees on 'Sangrant' of every month.

A sports club is also dedicated to him which holds a sports tournament on every Basakhi.

Accompanied by his wife, Gurnam Singh of Adalatpur village, paid obeisance at the shrine and said his family has been visiting it for the past several decades. "It showers blessings on the devotees, prompting them to re-visit it," he said.

When the Tribune team visited the shrine in the morning, they spotted a group of booze lovers keenly waiting for the devotees to come out after making an offering of liquor at the shrine.

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