In the westernmost district of Haryana, the Gurdwara Shri Chilla Sahib stands as a profound testament to the spiritual journey of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru. According to a feature published on Monday, the shrine marks the specific spot where Guru Nanak spent over four months during his travels and undertook a rigorous 40-day meditation (Chilla).
Historical records cited by Surendra Singh Vaidwala, chairman of the Guru Nanak Public School (located on the campus), indicate that Guru Nanak reached Sirsa in Vikram Samvat 1567 during his Second Udasi (spiritual journey) from Bathinda to Bikaner. At that time, Sirsa was a hub for Muslim fakirs and Sufi saints.
The tradition holds that two prominent fakirs, Pir Bahawal and Khwaja Abdul Shakur, challenged the Guru’s spiritual strength. They invited him to meditate in a small hut for 40 days, surviving on only a single grain of barley and a sip of water daily. While the fakirs reportedly emerged from the challenge weak and emaciated, Guru Nanak stepped out radiant and unaffected, leading the saints to bow before him in reverence.
Today, the Gurdwara is not just a place of worship but a center for social service managed by Baba Jagtar Singh of the Kar Sewa. It houses a charitable hospital and a school, and its massive langar hall feeds over 1,00,000 people during annual Gurpurab celebrations. The shrine continues to attract thousands of devotees, symbolizing the region’s deep-rooted cultural and religious harmony.
