Gstnit at 01:58, 19 July 2025

2025-07-19T01:58:24Z

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{{Short description|Gurdwara in Delhi, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox religious building
| name = Gurdwara Mata Sundari
| religious_affiliation = [[Sikhism]]
| administration = [[Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee]]
| architecture_style = [[Sikh architecture]]
}}

'''[[Gurdwara]] Mata Sundri''' is considered to be one of the major historical Gurudwara of the [[Sikh]]; it is a landmark on the Mata Sundri road in the heart of [[Delhi]]. It is situated behind JP Nayak Hospital, the Gurudwara is a tribute to [[Mata Sundari|Mata Sundri]], the wife of the 10th Guru – [[Guru Gobind Singh]].<ref name="So Delhi">{{cite web |title=Gurudwara Mata Sundri |website=So Delhi |url=http://www.sodelhi.com/gurudwaras/1821-gurudwara-mata-sundri-delhi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220055741/http://www.sodelhi.com/gurudwaras/1821-gurudwara-mata-sundri-delhi |archive-date=20 February 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Mata Sundri was considered to be the first wife of the tenth '''Guru Gobind Singh''' (1666–1708). The '''Delhi Gurdwara Committee''' constructed an imposing shrine on the site of the Haveli, where Mata Sundri stayed after the departure of the Guru to Deccan<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldgurudwaras.com/historical-gurudwaras/india/delhi/gurudwara-mata-sundri-delhi |title=Gurudwara Mata Sundri Delhi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812055416/http://www.worldgurudwaras.com/historical-gurudwaras/india/delhi/gurudwara-mata-sundri-delhi |archive-date=2013-08-12 |url-status=dead}}</ref> While some claim that [[Sangat (term)|Sangat]]<ref name="So Delhi" /> (public) raised a shrine in her loving memory on the spot where she lived for half of her life. Most of the Sikhs believe that after the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh at '''Nanded''' in October 1708, she nurtured and guided the [[Khalsa]] for forty years after the Guru's death.<ref>{{cite web |title=Women's Status |publisher=Akal Publications |url=http://www.akalsangat.com/myu2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817202752/http://www.akalsangat.com/myu2.html |archive-date=2013-08-17 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Sikhs followed her instructions and respected her,<ref name="All About India">{{cite web |title=Gurdwara Mata Sundri Ji |website=All About India |url=http://www.allaboutindia.net/delhi/gurdwara-mata-sundri-ji |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130820034407/http://www.allaboutindia.net/delhi/gurdwara-mata-sundri-ji |archive-date=2013-08-20 |url-status=dead}}</ref> looked up to her for guidance. Mata Sundri Kaur left for her heavenly abode in 1747 at this place where now the temple resides and her last rites were performed at the place of Gurdwara Bala Sahib.<ref name="All About India" />

==History==
Mata Sundri was the daughter of Bhai '''Ram Saran''', a Kumarav Khatri of Bijvara, in present-day Hoshiarpur, district of the [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. She is alleged to be the same person as [[Mata Jito]], As a child, Sundri was extremely beautiful, so her parents gave her this name according to her looks. Since her father knew Guru Tegh Bahadur,<ref name="Sikh Review">{{cite web |author=Mahindar Singh |title=The role of Mata Sundri in Sikh struggle |work=Sikh Review |url=http://www.sikhreview.org/pdf/august2005/pdf-files/historiography.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212063112/http://www.sikhreview.org/pdf/august2005/pdf-files/historiography.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-12 |url-status=dead}}</ref> it was then decided that she would marry to Guru Gobind Singh at [[Anandpur Sahib|Anandpur]](Punjab)on 4 April 1684 (allegedly). On 26 January 1687, at Paonta, she gave birth to '''Ajit Singh''', the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh. But due to the battles between Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]], Mata Sundri's son died.<ref name="Sikh Review" /> Later on it is known that Mata Sundri adopted a child because he resembled to her late son Ajit Singh.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The encyclopaedia of Sikhism |date=1992–1998 |publisher=Punjabi University |author=Harbans Singh |isbn=0-8364-2883-8 |volume=1 |location=Patiala |pages=31–32 |oclc=29703420 |quote=AJIT SINGH PALIT (d. 1725), adopted son of Mata Sundari, the mother of Sahibzada Ajit Singh. Little is known about the family he came of except that Mata Sundari took him over from a goldsmith of Delhi and adopted him because of his striking resemblance with her son, Ajit Singh, who had met a martyr's death at Chamkaur.}}</ref><ref name="Sikhcyber">[http://www.sikhcyber.com/gurudwaras/mata_sundri.html "Gurudwara Mata Sundri"]. Sikhcyber.com.</ref>

Guru Gobind Singh Ji went to Deccan from Talwandi Sabo (a place in Bathida District of Punjab State), Mata Sundri came to Delhi and stayed at the Haveli (house) of Bhai '''Jawahar Singh''' for some time.<ref name="All About India" /> In 1708, Guru Gobind died at Nanded in October 1708. Some Sikhs believe that Guru Gobind Singh left for his heavenly abode at Nanded (a place in Maharashtra State).<ref name="All About India" /> From 1727 onwards the holy mother stayed in newly constructed building, then called Mata Sundri's Haveli and now called Mata Sundri's Gurudwara.<ref>[http://historyofgurudwaras.com/?page_id=205]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> After which Mata Sundri herself guided the troubled community through this transition, as it is evident from extracted hukumnamas (written orders) issued with her seal and authority between 1717 and 1730. The grateful public raised in her memory a shrine on the spot where she lived half of her life

==Architecture==
The Temple is built in brick and lime mortar, on the farther end of the hall is a marble-paved gallery. The carved weed beam of the gallery bears an inscription in Gurmukhi script in bold letters. There is a marble slab in the center which surrounded by the inscribed sacred emblem of the Sikhs.<ref name="Sikhcyber" /> It has a standard square-domed sanctums, arched copings and a traditional styled entrance perfectly characterizes the religious structure of Gurudwara Mata Sundri.<ref name="So Delhi" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Gurdwaras in Delhi]]

Gurdwara Mata Sundri - Revision history

Gstnit at 01:58, 19 July 2025