Kotli Shah Habeeb-
Do I Discover a Thousand
Year old
Tomb?
A son is born to my sister's daughter at Nangal Sohal
near Ramdas town of district Amritsar. It is right on
the Pakistan border. I leave with my wadde bhabi ji on
my Jumbo Jet: a 1990 model scooter with no shock
absorbers at all. I enjoy its ride. It sends shiver to
your whole body. Perhaps it is good for heart? May be
it is the secret of my good health at 55.
Reaching Ramdas I had a look at Baba Budha's historic
house. Kar sewa of much of the portion has been done.
Those beautiful small brick kothris have been
demolished with absolutely no trace. I remember these
breathed history. Fortunately one attari is still
left. Now I am getting hopeful of its preservation. I
now find the Sikhs are getting sensible on
archeological front. It gives one immense
satisfaction. Ours is a great community but it lacks
direction. Within less than 10 years an awakening has
emerged in community.
Resuming my tour towands Nangal Sohal.
We had hardly gone a kilometer from Smadh of Baba
Budha that my jumbo jet hit a pit. I maintained the
balance but Bhabiji had a fall. "budha ho gaya tenu
chalaun di akal nan ayee." She dusts herself. I look
around. How many have noticed us? A lady looks on. Oh
just about 50 yards is an Islamic tomb. I told Bhabi
that we pay obeisance at the Mazaar Bhabi couldn't
say no for fear of accidents. We enquire from the
onlooker what it was, "It is Dhua sahib di jaga." I
asked whether she could name it properly. She said,
"go inside, baba Dharma there." While annoyed Bhabi
rested on the cot, I hurriedly slipped inside the
Tomb.
A marvelous structure. True arches and there stood
Dharme Shah the majaur. I touched his knees. Before he
could tell things I started reading. Doors and windows
were telling numerous tales. I have a very very poor
knowledge of Urdu reading. Neither am I an archeology
expert yet with experience I have developed a sense to
measure the age of a building. It was not less than
300 year old structure. But the inscriptions in Urdu
were clear. 'La illa ......Mohd Rasool Allah' It
further read, "Baba Shah Habeeb' Paidaish-980 Bikrami,
Vafaat-1067 Bikrami. Oh God it was that old! Dharme
Shah had no idea what does it mean 1067. When I said
it means your Baba lived five centuries before Guru
Baba Nanak. 'Unbelievable' he uttered. I said Baba
must have come even before Mehmood Gazanvi invaded
India. These are the kind of people who founded Islam
on the land of Hindustan. I feel sorry when I hear
Sikhs and Hindus that it was Aurangzeb who spread
Islam.
Dharme shah-I asked who he was. He said he was born as
Dharam Singh s/o Pal Singh Jatt in that very village
named after the tomb: Kotli Shah Habeeb. I felt pride
in my community again. They love and respect others
faith too. Besides it is their heritage. I remembers
in 1992 the Sikhs of village Aulakh Beri near
Harchowal attacked a horde from a Sant Dera when it
had come to demolish a tomb- 700 year old. I published
the story. Before my eyes goes the tomb of Chuggatte
shah which I 'discovered' near Ghallukara –Chhota near
Kahnuwan that again is 500 year old. It is also well
preserved and the Majaur is a Sikh Jatt.
Returning back to my present experience. I was able
to roughly fathom the historicity. It could be true
that he lived 1000 year ago. The practice at the tomb
are partially Yogic. They burn pathian the dung cakes.
All around there were dhunas the fire places.
I could not learn or study more. My Bhabi was there to
cry for we were already late because we had to return
to Amritsar the same day.
Hurriedly I asked Dharme Shah whether any Muslim ever
visits it. He informed me that recently when there was
cricket match at Chandigarh, two jeep loads of
Pakistani came. But he was sorry he has no idea from
which district of Pakistan they came. He told me such
magnificent buildings do exist at nearby villages of
Ghone wala and Rattarh Chhatarh.
Kotli Shah Habeeb is just about 3 kms from Ramdas.
Can some body give details. I hope this place must be
on record with the Amritsar district. At least in
Amritsar District Gazzettier.
Photos
1. Tomb Shah Habeeb
2. Inscription at Tomb
To view them please visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kartarpur/
and click Photos and then click Shah Habeeb
You can try the following straight link as well
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