Gurudwara Bal Lilah Sahib

Gurudwara Bal Lilah Sahib

This Gurudwara is associated with the wondrous profiles of the early childhood of Guru Nanak. Gurudwara Bal Lilah is situated about half a kilometer from the holy shrine of Janam Asthan. Rai Bular, the ruler of Talwandi, got constructed the holy sarovar Nanaksar. Guru Nanak Dev in his childhood used to transport the enlightenment of the Nama in the minds of his playmates. Innumerable legends of the Guru’s infancy are associated with this sacred Gurudwara. Gurudwara Bal Lila is a magnificent shrine, about 1.5 furlong east-south-east of Gurudwara Janam Asthan, on the side of a sarovar which is said to have been built initially by Rai l’ular. It represents the village playground where young Nanak assembled his playmates not only to engagc in physical sports hut also to act as holy men sitting in meditation.Diwan Kaura Mal had this Gurudwara built in 1748. It was reconstructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who also enlarged and properly lined the sarovar Nanaksar. Its present three-storey domed building was raised during the 1930s Gurudwara Bal Lilah is situated 400 yards away from the holy shrine of Janam Asthan. The holy pond Nanksar with this Gurudwara was got built by Rai Bular, the ruler of Talwandi. As is apparent from the name, this site is related with the wonderful adventures of the early childhood of the Guru.  The Guru in his infancy, used to transport the enlightment of the Nama in the minds of his mates, while playing with them. The Gurdwara had formerly 120 acres of land and a little cash endowment also. Before the Saka of 1921, the arrangement of this Gurdwara was in the hands of the Nirmala Singhs. Besides Tirath Singh, the Mahant there were also 37 other patidaars. The Gurdwara came under the panthic management at the time of the Gurdwara Sudhar Movement. This Gurdwara remained in the panthic hands up to 1947, but after the partition, the Pakistan Waqf Board has been serving the Gurdwara. The sarovar adjacent to the Gurdwara is lying dried up and the Gurdwara is opened only at the time of visiting to it by the Sikhs. There is no arrangement of Parkasha of Guru Granth Sahib. It is only the building which is safe and sound.

Acknowledgements:

	Text and photographs: Gurdwara Gurdham at Pakistan, written by Roop Singh and Published by SGPC
	Photographs : Kanwer Sosheel Singh  from Pakistan
	Photographs: S. Rajinder Singh Narang