Sikhs of Afghanistan :

Excerpts from "Afghanistan Da Safar " by Prof. Ganda Singh

The killings in Jellalabad , Afghanistan of both Sikhs and Hindus

arouses inquisitiveness amongst all , Sikhs included , about the
origin and state of the Sikh Community in Afghanistan .

In 1950's one of the great historians of Sikhs Prof .Ganda Singh

visited Afghanistan and consequent to the visit he published in
Gurmukhi "Afghanistan Da Safar ".This landmark publication ,
possibly the earliest and only known on Sikhs of Afghanistan and
Sikh Gurdwaras there ,is written in simple and lucid style that
throws light on our Sikh heritage in Afghanistan .He visited
several places and noted locations of the Gurdwaras and the
history behind them , as also he saw hand -written Birs dating to
eighteenth century including one , he proclaims , that has
Gurmukhi Alphabets by the holy hands of Shri Guru Gobind
Singh G as also he saw and he explains a chola of Guru Har
Gobind Singh G.
It was in September 1952 that Ganda Singh visited Afghanistan
for a month.I am below mentioning only his observations and
comments about Sikhs , Sikh Gurdwaras , Holy Sikh Hand
Written Birs and about Sikh Guru Har Gobind Singh G's Choga .
He writes in the Preface l of the book :
It was on 3rd September 1952 that he visited Gurdwaras of
Kandhar where he had 'darshan' of hand-written Guru Granth
Sahib g.He also visited amongst others Ahmed Shah Durrani's
maqbara (mausoleum)
On 7th September he visited Gazni where he had a darshan of
Gurdwara Sahib .He stayed in Kabul for several days and on
27th September he visited Gurdwara Sahib in Jellalabad where
he saw several hand written Birs .He returned to India on 2nd
October 1952 .
Beginning with Kabul he laments that the most important Guru
Nanak's landmark of his visit to Kabul had just been demolished
for redevelopment of the area and the Sikhs living nearby had
been moved to outlying areas .Consequently they did not claim
that holy place a rich Afghan Jan Khan has built a big building
on the place .Ganda Singh enquired and found that the Afghan is
a noble man and needs to be compensated for rebuilding a
Gurdwara Sahib on that place . The original Gurdwara Sahib's
movable possessions and money had been removed by the Sikhs
but despite prodding of Ganda Singh he regretted the Gurdawara
Sahib at original place was not built .His words " Aggon ho key
kam karan nu koyi Kabuli Singh tayyar nayi haunda."
Ganda Singh then visited Gurdwara Khalsa , Dera Bhai Gurdas
Wala which is after Gurdawara Guru Nanak the oldest and here
Bhai Gurdas visited it and since the place is known by his name
.He describes the Gurdwara Sahib On the first floor is held diwan
of Gurdwara sahib and on ground floorparkash of Guru Granth
Sahib . ..He writes " Aithey eik taq vich jyot jagdi aye jis nu
akhand jyot akhdey ney .Iss upar Gurmukhi vich suneherey
akhran vich likheya hoya aye "Dhan Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib "
He writes there is is hand written Dasam Granth Bir of Samvat
1769 ( 1712 A.D.) Some pages are missing Then Ganda Singh
visited Gurdwara Bab Sri Chand that was established here by
Baba Almast of Udassi Sect.He also mentions having darshan of
two hand written Birs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib G on which is
written " Samvat 1918 jeth 25".Next he visited Gurdwara Ganj
Baksh so named as the followers of were called Ganj Bakshiye
and was an Udasi Sant .Notably he saw a hand -written Bir of
Shri Guru Granth Sahib g on which was written 'Samvat 1809
Katak Vadi Panchmi Virwar ( 1748 A.D.) "He also saw hand
drawn sketches of some Sikh Gurus .Gurdwara Joti Swarup
which was located at Lahori Darwaza and the Gurdwara is
known for one ancient Akhand Jyot but mentions that a Masjid
was built in recent years and due to elements of nature one day
its wall separating the two holy places fell down >Consequently
the Muslims refuse to let the Sikh re-build the wall and it was
only when new King Amanullah Khan sat on throne in 1919 the
wall was rebuilt.He writes seeing a hand written Bir of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib G on which is written' Samvat 1904 Mitti Assu Din
10 and facing on first page is a painting of Guru Nanak Dev G
with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana sitting under a treee"
He then visited Gurdwara Baba Gurbaksh Singh in Khandari
Kucha , Hindu Gujjar belonging to Baba Khem Singh Bedi ,of
Kallar Seydan fame ( where my ancestors originally belonged to
before moving in 19th Century to Pindi and Murree) .He mentions
seeing one hand written Bir of Sri Guru Granth Sahib G
Gurdwara Bhai Pirana Sarai Lahoriya named after a famous Sikh
preacher of from the times of Guru Arjan Dev G and Guru Har
Rai G. Notably Ganda Singh mentions having seen a square seal
of stone on which can be seen Guru Nanak when he visited
Kabul . Earlier this was kept in Gurdwara Guru Nanak Chowk
Juba .
Ganda Singh next visited Gurdwara Shri Guru Har Rai Sahib
Manjhi Asthan Bhai Gohinda.On a hand-written Bir of Guru
Granth Sahib after page 788 are portraits of Guru Nanak and
Bhai Mardana . A Sikh faithful of Kabul Bhai Mansa Singh built
a Gurdwara that is known by his name .There Ganda Singh saw
four Birs of Guru Granth Sahib and two of Dasam Granth .
There is a very historical Bir on which is written "Samvat 1795
which is equivalent to 1738 A.D." establishing that by this time
Sikhs were in power in the Punjab and Sikhs had reached
Afghanistan . One of the most remarkable finds of his visit he
mentions was when he visited the locality Hindu Gujar where
lived Kartar Singh , son of Bhai Ram Singh and grand son of
Bhai Basant Singh and saw a hand-written Bir of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib where are also written in Gurmukhi by the hands
of Shri Guru Granth Sahib G..I am not describing but sharing
screen shots from Ganda Singh's book for all to have a Darshan
.Pic 2 and 3 In the house of Bhai Kartar Singh Prof Ganda Singh
also saw a chola said to be of Guru Hargobind Sahib that came
from Masands of Kabul to Bhai Basant Singh .Ganda Singh took
measurements of the chola pic 4. Ganda Singh mentions next
that he wants to clear that though the signatures are said to be
of Guru Gobind Singh g and on Bir Sahib Samvat 1663 is written
when Guru Gobind Singh g was not born and it was the time of
Guru Tegh Bhadur G .At that time there was no printing press all
Birs were hand-written and so some believers when going to meet
Guru Sahib would take Birs with them and for posterity some
one may have got the signature.To meet Guru Sahiban the Sikhs
of Kabul ,Ghazni and Kandhar would come in kafilas .Sometime
some families would come to have Guru darshan some times
another family .Ganda Singh writes that Sikhs would bring along
Birs when they were to have darshan of Guru Sahib .And so the
signatures were later put on Bir Sahib as on this Bir .
Ganda Sahib visited next the house of Bhai Jot Singh Moti SIngh
son of Bhai Jawahar Singh grandson of Bhai Bhag Singh in
Lahori Darwaza Juba , Kabul where he saw a Bir of Guru Granth
Sahib on which was written "Samvat 1747 Katak Suddi 9 .Nishan
Daskhat Shri Guru Mehla 10 Jap Guru Ramdas G ki Nakal Ka
Nakal " Ganda Singh writes that on many pages of the Bir the
alphabets have been washed out or ink is spread.On enquiry he
was told that on 3rd Sept 1878 when Gazhis had killed every one
British and Indian in the fort Bala Hissar , Pic 5 and the British
Resident Louis Cavagnari and Afghans destroyed homes of other
people .At this time elder Sikhs of this family wrapped this Bir in
Rumalas and clothes and tied it to a rope and hanged it in a well
.When calm was restored in Kabul the Bir was taken out .

The rest of the journey will sent soon as ..Part 2...Sikhs of

Afghanistan .."Afghanistan Da Safar" by Ganda Singh and posted
tomorrow .
Prof Ganda Singh Ji

Bala Hissar when siege was laid by Afghans and Sikhs had to save their Guru
Granth sahib from the chaotic days ..pic courtesy the National Museum ,U..K.

Afghanistan Da Safar By Ganda Singh is an account of his journey he took in 1952 in September visiting
Gurdwaras of Afghanistan and he gives in detail about Sikhs and their heritage in Afghanistan
Afghanistan Da Safar By Ganda Singh is an account of his journey he took in 1952 in September visiting
Gurdwaras of Afghanistan and he gives in detail about Sikhs and their heritage in Afghanistan
Written by Shri Guru Gobind Singh G
Measurements of the Choga Ganda Singh says he saw in Kabul that
was said to be of Shri Guru Har Gobind Sahab