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GURUDWARA CHOWK BAZAR – Chittagong |
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Janam Sakhi has a reference to Guru Nanak having been to Chittagong. A devout carpenter, Jhanda by name, was the first to pay his respects to Guru Nanak and to be blessed by the Master. Subsequently, Inder Sain, the nephew of the ruler, and later the ruler, Sudhar Sain, himself became the Guru’s disciples.
Chittagong, situated on the right bank of Karnaphuli river is the major port of Bangla-Desh. Guru Nanak Dec visited to a country near the sea where a king ruled over many islands. The Guru, it says, appointed Bhai Jhanda as his representative preacher (masand) there. Assuming that the country alluded to was the Chittagong region, a Gurdwara was established in Chittagong, called Gurdwara Sikh Temple. It is in the Chowk Bazar of the town. An old well adjoining the Gurdwara building indicates the age of the Gurdwara. Bhai Mohan Singh, a poor Khattri of Patna Sahib, who rose to be a divan (revenue minister) of Nawab ‘Ali Vardi Khan of Bengal from 1740 to 1756, donated some property to the Gurdwara, which remained in the control of a long line of mahants. The last mahant Kali Das died sometime during the second decade of the 20th century. His son was too young to take over. This resulted in mismanagement of the Gurdwara. In 1917, on an appeal filed by Sardar Atma Singh and Sardar Arjan singh of East Bengal Railway and others, The District Judge of Chittagong appointed Sri Anand Sen, his son Nutan Chand Sen took over, but there was mismanagement again. The District Judge then formed an 11-member committee of management. Its first president was Sri Rasik Chandra Hazari and first secretary Sardar Gurbachan Singh. This arrangement still continues. Early in 1972, when a deputation of Indian Sikhs led by Captain Bhag Singh visited Bangla Desh, Sri Satish Chandra Dey was the president and Sri S.K. Das Barman, secretary of the managing committee