Apart from Guru Nanak's travels to Nepal, the history and roots of Sikhs in Nepal can also be traced back to the time of Maharani Jind Kaur, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire in the mid-19th century.16
Historical records show that Nepal’s Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa and Maharaja Ranjit Singh forged a secret alliance against the British to oppose the expanding British power. However, the alliance fell apart with the sudden demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839. His wife, Maharani Jind Kaur became regent to lead the Sikh kingdom as King Duleep Singh was still an infant. In 1843, Punjab went to war against the British but with Punjab’s annexation, the British imprisoned Maharani Jind Kaur in a jail in Varanasi in India. Two years later in 1849, Maharani Jind Kaur managed to escape from the prison disguised as a maid, and travelled with many of her kin and followers to Kathmandu hoping for support from Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa to uphold the alliance to fight the British together. While travelling to Kathmandu, she was held captive in a prison in Pharping. Upon investigation, it was found that she was the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was immediately released. When she reached Kathmandu, she stayed at the residence of Amar Bikram Shah, son of General Chautariya Pushkar Shah, who had been the prime minister of Nepal in 1838-39 and had played an important role in forging the alliance between Punjab and Nepal. However, after a few months of hiding at Amar Bikram Shah’s residence, Maharani Jind Kaur approached the then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana seeking his help to reclaim her lost kingdom. Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana granted her political asylum against the will of the British. He built a Charburja Durbar in Thapathali for Maharani Jind and constructed a small gurdwara within the compound for her to worship because of his deep respect for Maharaja Ranjit Singh. But he did not support her ambitions of going against the British. In fact, her hopes were shattered when Jung Bahadur Rana supported the British during the revolt of 1857.17
After around 11 years, Maharani Jind Kaur left Kathmandu and travelled back to finally reunite with her son in England. Many Sikhs who had travelled with Maharani Jind stayed back in Sikkhan Pura of Nepalgunj. Since then, many Sikh families settled in three villages – Sikhan Pura, Bankatuwa and Jamunaha – on the outskirts of Nepalgunj. The Bankatuwa Gurdwara in a village called Bankatuwa, is named after the Sikh community’s settlement in the forest area. Now, a large gurdwara is in the market area of Nepalgunj.
In the southern plains of the Terai region, in Raxaul, the border point between Nepal and India, a small gurdwara was first established in Amlaiganj by S. Pritam Singh in the early 1960s. Later, the Guru Granth Sahib was shifted to Birgunj where Pritam Singh established a gurdwara within the compound of his Birgunj Transport Office-Nepal Public Motor Service, where he had allocated 2 kathas to the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Satsang, Birgunj. In 2017, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Satsang in Birgunj shifted to a new location and welcomes people from all castes and creeds and is managed by the Birgung Guru Nanak Satsang Committee.
Likewise, Sardar Pritam Singh has been instrumental in establishing gurdwaras in other districts of Nepal including Butwal and Dhangadhi.
Conclusion
The Sikh history in Nepal goes back to Guru Nanak’s third Udasi and to the secret alliances between the Gorkhas and Sikhs to now the small Sikh community, which continues to contribute to the development and progress of Nepal. The historical, cultural and social commonalities between India and Nepal are plenty. Nepal has many religious sites that are of significance to the Sikhs and historians and the aim is to revive the forgotten history of Guru Nanak, which has been mentioned in this article.
In Sikhism there is a principle called Gurbani Vichar, which means to come to an understanding of the Guru’s wisdom and revisit Guru Nanak’s perspective on the world. Guru Nanak believed that a Sikh must always be on a learning path and their ultimate goal should be to have their soul united with God. The aim of this article is to unveil many hidden gems – Guru Nanak Matths – that are in Nepal so that Sikh followers can bask in the glory of the Guru and continue the path of learning.
Disclaimer
The authors of this article have tried to depict fact based on historical records and interviews with Mahants of Nanak Matths in Kathmandu - Nem Muni, Mahant Pushpadas Udasi, Priests from the Sikh community in Nepal - Gyani Gurubaksh Singh and Sikh leaders in Nepal - Sardar Pritam Singh.
By Sardar Pritam Singh, Priest Gyani Gurubaksh Singh, Mrs. Rupy Singh, Transcribed and Translated by Ms. Sarah Rai, Edited by Kiran Deep Sandhu
Thanks to Mr. Anil Thaman for contributing the photographs. Photographs taken by Mr. Eesh Deewan.
16 ibid, p. 27.
17 ibid, p. 27.
