EṬĀWĀH (26º-47'N, 78º-58'E), a district town of Uttar Pradesh, 127 km southeast of Āgrā, has two Udāsī Āshrams commemorating the visits of Gurū Nānak and Bābā Srī Chand. Sikh chronicles have not recorded these visits, but they do mention that Gurū Tegh Bahādur while travelling to the east in 1666 passed through Eṭāwāh. He is believed to have stayed at the Udāsī Āshram inside the town. The āshram is now known as Gurdwārā Pūrabī Ṭolā, also referred to locally as Baṛī Saṅgat. The Gurdwārā is controlled by Udāsī priests who in their religious practice and liturgy do not strictly observe the Sikh way of worship, although the Gurū Granth Sāhib is installed in the building and is visited by several Sahajdhārī Sikhs who come to bow before it in the morning and evening everyday.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Tārā Siṅgh, Srī Gur Tīrath Saṅgrahi. Amritsar, n.d.
  2. Ṭhākar Siṅgh, Giānī, Srī Gurduāre Darshan. Amritsar, 1923.
  3. Raṇdhīr Siṅgh, Udāsī Sikhāṅ dī Vithiā. Chandigarh, 1972.

Major Gurmukh Siṅgh (Retd.)