Bathinda, Mar 22 : The magnificent Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, the fifth Takht or seat of temporal authority of Sikhism is situated at Bathinda in Punjab. The place holds vital importance as the tenth Guru of Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh prepared the revised and authentic version of the Sikh scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib here in 1705.

Located at village Talwandi Sabo, 17 miles southwest of Bathinda City, Guru Gobind Singh arrived here at the invitation of Chaudhari Dalla, a landowner.

The place is now called Damdama Sahib, which means `the resting place'.

Guru Gobind Singh stayed here for a few months after fighting several battles against Mughals. Before his arrival at Talwandi, two of guru's sons were bricked alive at Sarhind and two laid down their lives at Chamkaur Sahib.

At the gurudwara, some precious & sacred articles of the guru - the sword, a mirror, a `pothi' or book, a matchlock have been preserved.

These relics attract innumerable visitors from across the world to the Damdama Sahib.

Balvinder Kaur, a devotee said, "I come here everyday and especially during exams because here I get peace of mind. All the wishes of the people get fulfilled here."

Describing the legacy of the place, Jatedhar Balwant Singh, a Sikh priest at the Gurudwara said, "Guru Govind Singh ji came here in the month of May in 1705. Guru Govind Singh ji was a man full of various special qualities. He prepared Sikh's holy book Guru Granth Sahib, which was transcribed by Bhai Mani Singh.

Damdama Sahib has also been named `Guru ki Kashi', which means a great learning centre. This title was given because of the intense literary activities that Guru Gobind Singh engaged in during his stay here.

The Gurudwara complex encompasses an underground chamber called `Bhora Sahib'. It is said that Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Mani Singh used to meditate and work on the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh at this part of the Gurudwara.

At Damdama Sahib, the Guru preached complete sacrifice of personal and family interests for the good of mankind.

The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee in its general body meeting recognized Damdama Sahib as a Takht on November 18, 1966.

During the tercentennial celebration of the formation of Khalsa in 1999, the Centre declared Damdama Sahib the fifth takht. (ANI)