Informative

Aeroplane Gurudwara, Jalandhar, Punjab

Sacrifice is offering food, livestock, or materialistic possessions to a deity, as an act to appease, pacify or worship. For thousands of years, Humans have been following the practice of sacrifice, and many ancient artifacts found in excavations support this.

A wide variety of objects, foods, and livestock beyond our imagination are offered to different gods. Continuing this trend of humanity, do you know that there is a Gurdwara (place of worship for Sikhs) in Jalandhar, where toy airplanes are presented to God in offerings? Today, in the blog series of mysterious temples of India, we will visit an airplane Gurudwara of Jalandhar, also known as the Visa granting Gurudwara of India.  

The Legend of martyr Baba Nihal Singh Ji

Baba Nihal Singh Ji was an Engineer (artisan) who used to live in village Dakoha, near Jalandhar. He belonged to the Ram Gadhiya sect of Sikhism, well known for his mechanical and engineering skills. Even though Nihal Singh Ji was no renowned saint, for the villagers in the vicinity of Jalandhar, he was not lesser than a guardian angel.

He used to serve the community with his extraordinary skills in engineering. With his extensive knowledge of underground water systems, he used to help villagers in digging wells and fixing pulleys for the wells. His knowledge touched hundreds of thousands of lives. It is said that the wells touched by him never went dry, even after decades of usage. When he was installing a pulley, he met with a fatal accident. Grateful villagers came together and built a Samadhi or monument in his name, which later blossomed as Gurudwara.   

Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara

Surrounded by the lush green farms of Punjab, Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Ji is located on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana road, near the city of Jalandhar. When you arrive at the doors of Gurudwara, the white canopy of the temple welcomes you. You have to remove your footwear and wash your hands, feet, and face before proceeding further.

After crossing the vast courtyard, you will reach a congregation hall, where you will see a podium and Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of Sikhs) on a throne. The podium will be decorated with flowers, ornate silk coverings, and a silver canopy. Here, you will sit on the floor, listening to the sweet melodic singing called Kirtan, the singing of Gurbani (Holy Sikh Scriptures) by the Raagis (choir). Besides the podium, you can see the monument of Baba Nihal Singh, where devotees bow their heads, giving respect to the great soul.

Why Toy airplanes?

You must be wondering what a toy airplane has anything to do with worship? A few years ago, a group of youngsters planning to go abroad was disappointed due to constant visa rejection. Being a devotee of Baba Nihal Singh Ji, one of them kept a tiny model airplane, a symbol of flying abroad, in front of the sanctum Sanctorum of the Gurudwara. After a few days, he tried his luck again with the embassy, and his Visa was approved. Word spread like wildfire, and people who wanted to go abroad started coming to the Gurudwara with the toy airplane.

Every week more than 300 airplanes are offered to Baba every week. Many youngsters come here with toy airplanes, holding a Sankalp to have a Visa and fly abroad. In the last few years, the Gurudwara has gained popularity among the locals and tourists, and they know this Gurudwara as HawaiJahaj Gurudwara.

Why should you visit this Gurudwara?

This shrine, dedicated to Baba Nihal Singh Ji, is immaculate and cleanly maintained. Located right in the middle of fields, the Gurudwara attracts enormous crowds of devotees every day. An exceptionally calm and pious environment makes you visit this place repeatedly. Well, the known warmth of Sikh hospitality adds charm to the serenity of the site.

Chanting the names of Guru, when you enter the Gurudwara, you find yourself in a place without any stress, negativity, or depression. The environment of the Gurudwara ignites a devotee within you and makes you bow in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, kept on the podium.

You cannot help but close your eyes and chant जो बोले सो निहाल, सत श्री अकाल! (Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Shree Akaal!)This means the one who is elevated, who says that the Lord is the only eternal wealth and happiness.

While paying their respects, many devotees donate money to the Gurudwara. Many devotees Baba Nihal Singh Ji has blessed have now settled abroad and offered donations to the shrine. With this money, Gurudwara has opened a well-equipped, no-loss no-profit hospital, a Langar (daily meals to the devotees and poor), and other community outreach programs serving the community. Your visit and donations go towards the betterment of society.

Many search for a better life and want to take their careers to new heights. Many want to study further, or the climate or lifestyle seems appealing for many of them. There are thousands of different reasons why someone settles abroad.

Holding this exact Sankalpa (resolution) in mind, a steady stream of devotees come to the doorsteps of Baba Nihal Singh Ji Gurudwara. And when the devotion meets the efforts, the divine powers come together to turn any Sankalp into success. This Gurudwara in Punjab is a live example of this. So, next time you visit Punjab, please do not miss the chance to see this exciting place.

We hope you enjoyed reading about the mystical Gurudwara of Jalandhar. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected and receive information about spirituality. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com. You can check out our YouTube channel Chamunda Swamiji where you can learn Tantra, Mantra, Yantra, and Meditation from His Holiness Shri Chamunda Swamiji.