The best bit about India is that you would find an evidence of religious plurality tucked somewhere you may not expect.
We found our way to the Patthar Singh Gurudwara while returning to Leh from the confluence point of the Indus Valley and the Zanskar rivers. Our driver, a practicing budhist, excitedely told us about his weekly visits to the Gurudwara.
You would find the Gurudwara greeting you right across from a a row of rocky hills. The entrance to the Gurudwara is like a tunnel and it takes you to the sanctum sanctorium where the Guru Granth Sahib lies. But something caught the eyes of my husband who wandered towards the back where a large rock was enshined, there was an epitaph in front of it that talked about its significance.
Legend has it that in the past, a demon lived in the area where the Gurdwara now stands. Distressed, the locals prayed for divine intervention. Guru Nanak, hearing their cries, settled by the river beneath the hill where the demon dwelled. Bestowing sermons, the Guru became known as Nanak Lama. Enraged, the demon sought to end Guru Nanak Dev’s life.
One morning, as the Guru meditated, the demon hurled a sizable boulder from the hilltop with the intent to harm him. Surprisingly, upon contact with the Guru’s body, the stone softened like warm wax and halted against Guru Nanak’s back.
Unperturbed, the Guru continued his meditation unharmed. Believing his plan had succeeded, the demon descended, only to find Guru Nanak deep in meditation. Enraged, he attempted to kick the boulder with his right foot, but the stone retained its softness, trapping his foot. As the demon withdrew his foot, he was astonished to see the impression it had left on the stone.
Witnessing this miracle the demon humbled and bowed before Guru Nanak Dev, acknowledging his own powerlessness. Filled with remorse, he pleaded for forgiveness and sought guidance from the great Guru. In response, Guru Sahib urged him to embrace a noble life.
With the demon now no longer tormenting the locals, Guru Nanak Dev resumed his sacred journey, heading towards Srinagar via Kargil. The very boulder, pushed by the demon and bearing the imprints of Guru Nanak Dev’s body and the demon’s foot was preserved by the locals and presented to the Army during the 1970s during the construction of the road connecting Leh and Kargil by the Indian Army.
This boulder stands as a representation of India’s rich religious diversity, where a host of religions, languages, ethnicities, and cultures coexist harmoniously.
Fingers in symphony 