Skip to main content

NEELAY GHODE WALA

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of Sikhism and founder of Khalsa, was famous for his blue coloured horse. In fact Guru Sahib is sometimes known as "Neelay ghoray whalla" or "one with the blue horse".Just as his grandfather Guru Hargobind Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh instructed his Sikhs to make offerings of arms and horses in readiness for the turbulent times ahead. In anticipation of this Gobind Singh ji Maharaj learnt the art of horsemanship from an early age under the guidance of his maternal uncle, Bhai Kirpal Chand.

As Guru Sahib grew older, he became an accomplished horseman and would spend time travelling the country-side on horseback blessing his people who would inevitably gather wherever he went. Even today the lineage of the stallions continues at Hazoor Saheb, Nanded.


The horses are kept in stables and are bred from the original stallion belonging to Guru Sahib. No one is allowed to ride the horses as a mark of respect and they are brought out on the festival of Holla Mahalla or gurupurabs when they are beautifully decorated with tassels and riding gear. On occasions, especially on the festival of Holla Mahalla it has been said that the horse will get extremely sweaty and agitated, as if it is being ridden.

Two stories are very relevant related to this Neela Ghoda:-

Gurudwara at Bhatta Sahib, Punjab:
Here the Gurdwara commemorates the incident when Guru Gobind Singh Ji arrived at this place from a long journey on their way back to Anandpur Sahib. They say a man working at a kiln (putthi) baking bricks. Upon enquiring from the local artisan if there was a place to rest, the local gestured at his furnace and said mockingly “If you call yourself Guru why don’t you rest here in the furnace?” Guru Ji ushered Neela forward who trampled on the mud surrounding the kiln and put one of his hooves on the side of the kiln. Whereas a brick kiln would normally take a week or so to cool down the furnace became instantly cool. Guru Ji demounted Neela and rested for the night in the furnace. The gurdwara that now stands there has been built around the now solidified mud which still has the impressions of Neela’s hooves.

Kotla Nihang Khan:-

Kotla Nihang Khan, about two and a half kilometres south of Ropar, owes its prominence to Gurdwara Bhatta Sahib.

The village is named after its once local chief, Nihang Khan, a god fearing Afghan contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh first visited Kotla Nihang Khan while on his way back from Paonta to Anandpur. The site of the present Gurdwara Bhattha Sahib used to be a Bhatha (a brick kiln) which was used to slake lime for mortar and whitewashing of walls. The kiln which was in use at the time belonged to the local chief. It is said that the kiln was still smouldering hot when the Guru arrived here on November 1688 and, inadvertantly or otherwise, rode right onto the kiln's covering.


There is a fascinating story about this incident, as soon as the hooves of the Guru's horse touched the kiln, it cooled. Seeing this, Nihang Khan fell at the Guru's feet and became forever his devoted follower. He escorted him to his haveli and put him up for the night with due reverence and attention.

So this was one of the legendary tales of the Neelay Ghode Wala, or Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj, the tenth guru of Sikhs and the founder of Khalsa, to remind his disciples of the courage and valour they possessed.


#neelaghoda #gurugobindsingh #khalsa #sikhism #panjpiyare #gurujayanti #folktales #folklores #mysticstories #unsungstories #mythology #religion #theunheardsecrets

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Viseshakacchedya Vidya- The Soul behind SHRINGAR

In ancient times, cosmetics were used not just for enhancing outer beauty, but to attain punya , ayush , aarogyam and anandam . Do you know that cosmetology, that is, the skill of using cosmetics, has always been a part of our culture. This ' chatushashti ' art forms like painting, dance, drama, music and sculptures is a part of 64 arts ( chausath kala) which were used to be practised since ancient times. It is believed that the ancient science of cosmetology was born in Egypt and India. Things related to cosmetology, were used during the Indus Valley Civilisation as well. In those times, both women and men were equally conscious about  their appearances. In the timeframe of Indus valley civilisation, kohl (kajal) was applied on the eyelashes and below the eyebrows. During those times, the method of preparing kajal was quite natural. Aside from its asthetic appeal, kajal was originally worn as a form of protection for the eye. The belief was that darkening around the lids cou...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE FORGOTTEN 'SHE'ROES

And just like our society... Unfortunately History took our women, their valour, their courage...FOR GRANTED. There is no doubt that their sacrifices and their pain has been glorified time and again, undermining their heroic deeds, their tales of bravery and their participation which changed the course of history. On this International Women's Day, lets celebrate these 'she'roes and their courage...which gradually got hidden within the test of time. Rani Abbakka Chowta was the first Tuluva Queen of Ullal who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. For her bravery, she came to be known as Abhaya Rani (The fearless queen). She was also one of the earliest Indians to fight colonialism and is sometimes regarded as the 'first woman freedom fighter of India'. Abbakka is portrayed as dark and good looking, always dressed in simple clothes like a commoner. She is portrayed as a caring queen who worked late into the night dispensing justice. Legends a...
2 comments
Read more

COZ YOU NEED TO 'BEAR' THIS TEDDY!

What's in a name? More than you may realize! You may not see your stuffed bear in quite the same light again! Boxed and wrapped in paper and bows, teddy bears have been placed lovingly underneath Christmas trees for generations, to the delight of tots and toddlers around the world. But the teddy bear is an American original: Its story begins with a holiday vacation taken by President Theodore Roosevelt. Did you know that the Teddy Bear was invented in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt? It all began when Theodore Roosevelt was on a bear hunting trip near Onward , Mississippi on November 14, 1902. Mississippi's Governor Andrew H. Longino had invited him, but unlike other hunters in the group, Theodore had not located a single bear. Roosevelt's assistants, led by Holt Collier, born slave and former Confederate cavalryman, cornered and tied a black bear to a willow tree. They summoned Roosevelt and suggested that he shoot it. Viewing this as extremely unsportsmanlike, R...
8 comments
Read more