Gurudwara Kandh Sahib – Batala
Batala city situated on the Amritsar-Pathankot railway line is a sub-divisional headquarter of Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Though it. is a very important industrial town yet it is better known all over the world because Guru ‘N anak, the founder of Sikh faith, was married here to Bihi Sulakhni, daughter of Mul Chand Chauna.
It is said Guru Nanak refused to be married according to the prevalent rites. As he was a reformer, he suggested a simpler wedding ceremony. The Brahmins resisted and Mul Chand Chauna, would be father-in-law of the Guru, refused to marry his daughter to Nanak according to any other rites. He even threatened to send the wedding party back. On the other hand Bhandari family of Batala offered to marry their daughter to the Guru if Mul Chand broke his daughter’s engagement to the bridegroom. A discussion took place between the Brahmins and Guru Nanak. Nanak -was given a seat near a crooked decaying mud-wall which was about to fall. The idea was to bury Nanak under the mud wall by giving it a little push. However an old lady informed Nanak who smiled and proclaimed, "This wall will not fall for centuries. The will of God shall prevail." Centuries have passed. The wall (Kandh) still stands intact, shielded in glass, within -Gurudwara Kandh Sahib. A gala celebration is- held every year on the anniversary of Guru Nanak’s marriage. A big procession is taken out to mark the occasion.
According to records,the marriage party of Guru Nanak left Talwandi village (Nankana Sahib) now in Pakistan,for Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district of Punjab (India) and from there it went to Batala. There at Sultanpur his sister Bibi Nanaki and brother-in-law Jairam joined the marriage party. Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi,sent his elephants and horses to add color to the marriage procession.