# GURU NANAK IN AZERBAIJAN



## Dalvinder Singh Grewal (Feb 22, 2017)

*GURU NANAK IN AZERBAIJAN*
Dr Dalvinder  Singh Grewal





  Arjan Muni mentions of Jawala Temple (Atash Kadeh) under heading Asfara*n* (45) and states: “Coming out of Nersi city, he (Guru Nanak) entered the Russian territory. This country is between Iran and Turkistan. A fire comes out of a hill, called Maha-Jawala. Gulo-lal parbat is four stoppages from there (Maha-Jwala) where a plant with red leaves remaining all the twelve months, making the mountain beautiful. It is after Urganj. [1]

  Giani Gian Singh writes:  “After obtaining assurances from the king and the entire public on oath not to kill any human beings, Baba Ji went to Iran next which used to be the country of fire-worshippers. The prophet Zardast of Parsi religion was born in this country. Earlier this entire country was of the fire and cow worshippers. Khalifa Umar converted them to Islam in 84 Hijri under the threat of sword. The ones’ who could save themselves, went away to cities like Bombay.”[2]….’.passing through the cities of Tehran… Krakar, Asfahan, Nairsi, Belas etc., and guiding countless to the Divine Name, he reached Urganj country of Russia. This country is between Iran and Turkistan. Like Jawalmukhi temple in India there too the fire used to continuously emerge out of the ground. It is called Maha Jawala. [2] Dr Surinder Singh Kohli however differs about the route and writes: “While returning from Turkey, the Guru entered the Russian territory of Azerbaijan.’ [3]

  In his book_ ‘My Travels Outside Bombay:_ Iran, Azerbaijan, Baku’, 1926, (written in Gujarati)Dr. Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi, (1854-1933) describes his extensive travels in 1925 from Mumbai to Aden to Africa, Europe, Russia, Iran, Iraq and Karachi. His major objective was to travel to all these places in search of clues about Zoroastrian civilization. He visited Baku oil fields Azerbaijan, and Surakhan’s Atash Kadeh (mentioned as Maha Jawala by Arjan Muni) first on 24th September 1925 and recorded the details on pages 266-276 of his book. [4]

at the mouth of fire naturally originating from earth, they established a Hindu Temple for fire worship. After a few years, the original trade routes and customs changed and the visits of the Hindu traders diminished. And from the original group of the Brahmins, some passed away and a few that were left went back to their original home land. At this place, they showed me a long room and informed me that some 40 years ago, the Russian Czar, Alexander III, visited this place with a desire to witness the Hindu Brahmin Fire ritual. So the local officials gathered a few Brahmins still living here and they performed the fire ritual in this room in front of the Czar. [4] 

   “In Baku, Russian and Turkish were the only languages spoken by the people. Rarely, someone speaks Farsi. The Atash Kadeh was in a place called Surkhani on the road from Baku about 30 to 45 minutes by car. Traveling from Tiflis to Baku, one will pass miles and miles of barren country. Among tall wooden structures of the petroleum wells, lies “Surkhani”. The origin of this word may have come from “Sho-E-Le-Khaneh” meaning the house (“Khaneh”) of the fire balls (“Sho-E-Le”). Among the ocean of these petroleum wells is situated this alleged Atash Kadeh. Not just me but any P{censored}e who is a little familiar with our Hindu brethren’s religion, their temples and their customs, after examining this building with its inscriptions, architecture, etc., would conclude that this is not a P{censored}e Atash Kadeh but is a Hindu Temple, whose Brahmins (priests) used to worship fire (Sanskrit: Agni). [4]

  About hundred to two hundred years ago, our Hindustan (India) used to have a very good trade with the Central Asian cities like Samarkand, Bokhara, etc. Also, many Hindu traders from Hindustan used to visit Baku for trade. North Indian Hindu traders from Sindh and Multan (now in Pakistan) used to take part in this trade and used to visit Baku. This temple was erected to satisfy their religious needs. Our Hindu brethren also consider Fire (“Agni”) as a God. The natural gases emit from earth at this place, which will ignite into a continuous fire ball by any sparks. Hence here

  He further writes: “I spent two hours inspecting this place. I asked for a tall ladder and with trepidation I climbed to the top of the building and examined the foundation stone which was inscribed in the Nagrik [or Nagari] script..... I became convinced that this place …. is not a P{censored}e Atash Kadeh but a Hindu Temple. [4]

  Dr Modi mentions that Zoroastrian worship of fire in Suraxane (Surkhan) belongs to the Sassanid era. Armenian chroniclers in the description of Bhagavan (Baku called it "Seven sacred fire holes." Shah Ardashir I (227-241) mentions these as fire temples. In 1683 a German traveler Kaempfer visited Baku and noted that there are seven fire holes in Suraxane, revered by descendants of the ancient Persians who migrated to India. Later Atashgah was restored by Hindu people for their purposes, but along with them in the temple were present Zoroastrians too as central altar is built in the Iranian style 'chahar taq' (4 arches inverted to North, South, East, and West). Above the entrances of some of the cells are placed stone tablets with a brief dedicatory inscriptions: 14 Hindu, two Sikh and one Persian (Zoroastrian) inscriptions_. _[4]





*  Oil fields still surround the Baku                      Entrance to the Baku temple*





*  Atashgyakh                                                            A ritual at Hindu cell*






*   A Yogi                                                                  A room for travellers*
  He stayed next in Baku city. This city is the capital of Azerbaijan. Baku is 800 kos from Mecca on a route through desert. Villages are very rarely seen.  Baku (51) has a dharmsal (commemorating Guru’s visit). A Suthra performs the duties of priest. A photo of Baba (Guru Nanak) is kept at the place. His name is written above it in Shashtri (Sanskrit). [2]e

  In about nineteen cells, there are inscriptions in Nagri script. From these inscriptions, it can be deduced that traveling faithful may have built these cells. One inscription is in Farsi whose date is given as 1158 Hijree; that means that this Farsi inscription was inscribed 190 years ago (about 1735 A. D.). From this Farsi inscription it appears that when Baku, and the whole Azerbaijan, was under the suzerainty of the Shah of Iran, the influence of Farsi was very important in this area. This date is older than the date on the foundation stone inscription of the Hindu Temple (1810 A. D.) which proves the Hindu Temple was built later on. Some parts of this Farsi inscription are damaged. First line: “Aatash saf kashideh humchoo del” is readable. So also the Hijree date mentioned. From all the above facts it is without a doubt clear that this building is not a P{censored}e Aatash Kadeh. [4]

  There are two inscriptions in Gurmukhi script as given below. Both start with Mool mantra in the beginning. Thereafter they give the name of the person who constructed the Dharmsal (Guru’s place) giving the name of his predecessors before. The first one was made by Uho Sah and the second one is Karta Ram.



Inscription in Gurumukhi of Commencing Verse (Commonly called Mool Mantra) and the Sloka of _Jap _Verse from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

ੴਸਤਿਨਾਮੁਕਰਤਾਪੁਰਖੁਨਿਰਭਉਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ  ਅਕਾਲਮੂਰਤਿਅਜੂਨੀਸੈਭੰਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥।5॥
ਬਾਬਾਜਾਟੂਸਾਹਥਾਜਿਸਕਾਚੇਲਾਬਾਵਾਭਾਗੂਸਾਹਜਿਸਕਾਚੇਲਾਬਾਵਾਬੰਕੇਸਾਹਜਿਸਕਾਚੇਲਾਊਹੋਸਾਹਧਰਮਕੀਜਗਾਬਨਈ
(There was Baba Jatoo Sah whose disciple was Bawa Bhagoo Sah whose disciple was Bawa Banke Sah whose disciple was Uho Sah (who constructed) the place of religion (dharmsal)).

  Prof Chahal concludes that* t*he second part of inscription starting from fifth line to the end of seventh line is damaged very much and is not easy to decipher. Words have to be guessed. The dates of this inscription may be quite earlier around 16th century rather than that of 19th century as indicated by Modi [5] found in the inscription on the main entrance (Fig.2). The 16th century is the time when Guru Nanak was in the Middle East around 1511-1521 CE [6]. 



Second inscription in _Gurumukhi _of Commencing Verse (Commonly called Mool Mantra) and the Sloka of _Jap _Verse from the Aad Guru Granth Sahib at one of room’s entrance.[7]
ੴਸਤਿਨਾਮੁਕਰਤਾਪੁਰਖੁਨਿਰਭਉਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ  ਅਕਾਲਮੂਰਤਿਅਜੂਨੀਸੈਭੰਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥
ਵਾਹੁਗੁਰੂਜੀਸਹਾਇਬਾਬਾਹਰਦਾਸਬੰਗੇਵਾਲੇਕਾਚੇਲਾਮੇਲਾਰਾਮਤਿਸਕਾਚੇਲਾ  ਕਰਤਾਰਾਮਉਦਾਸੀ……. ਧਰਮਕੀਜਗਾਬਨਾਈਗਈ।….. ਵਾਹੁਗੁਰੂਚਰਣਬਜਾਗਲੀ….
May God be the Protector. Baba Hardas Bange wala’s disciple Mela Ram whose disciple was Karta Ram Udasi who constructed the place of religion (dharmasal)

  Gurvinder Singh Chohan [5] in his article ‘Guru Nanak’s Travel An Appraisal of Baku Visit’, published in The Research Journal Understanding Sikhism,  January –– December 2015, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 17-22 who published the article after his visit to Baku and Surakhan Jawala Temple mentions:  “Figure 8 (could not be reproduced here: Author) is very important as this telling about Guru Nanak and his pupil Mardana visiting this place and this sacred place was built in their honor. [7]

  Dr Surinder Singh Kohli mentions: “Since  Guru Nanak visited the Surakhany temple, some Udasis seem to have lived there and installed tablets there in honour of  the visit of the  Guru to that place.” [8] 

  Gurvinder Singh Chohan mentions: “This inscription was erected by masons under the guidance and instructions of the emperor; Shah Ismail-1 in 1520, when some parts of Surakhani temples was extended. The last three lines clear this. Ismail-1 also became the disciple (chela) of Guru Nanak.” [9] Mentioning the use of Ajooni in inscription instead of Ajooni in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, he states: “This mistake occurred because they were copied from the handwriting of Guru Nanak and was erected in his absence when he and Bhai Sahib Mardana crossing the Caspian sea by boat went to Bukhara (in erstwhile Khorasan)”. [9] 

 He concludes that, “There is also a strong evidence to prove that Guru Nanak and Bhai Sahib Mardana Ji stayed in this Temple in September 1520 in the beginning of the month of Ramzan. Ismail-I alias Karun who was the King of Azerbaijan had a meeting with Guru Nanak. Ismail-I had conquered Azerbaijan in 1501 A.D. (reference Memoirs of Zehir-EDD in Mohammed Babur published by Oxford University Press 1921 and Baku -An Eventful History and Zindgan-E-Shah Ismail_E aval (Persian) and various History Books.) This (photo is taken as a token of courtesy of the (Picture-Gallery of Toronto (Public Reference Library)”. (p. 19) [9]

*References *

[1] Giani Gian Singh, Twareekh Guru Khalsa, Part 1, Guru 1, _Language Department Punjab, Patiala, p. 272  “Uthon de (Baghdad) hakam smet sabhna nun aadmi na marn di sauhn pawa ke rab di bhagti drida kar Baba ji age Iran mulak vich ja fire jithe paighmbar Zardast, parsian de mazhab da acharya hoia hai. Pahilan eh sara des agnihotri gau poojak parsian da si_.”
[2] Pandit Arjan Muni Kaviraj 1923, Gurduara Darpan, Partap Hari Press, Lahore, 20 June, reproduced in The Punjab Past and Present, Vol III, 1969 at pp. 91-96, by Dr Ganda Singh, Punjabi University Patiala.
Arjan Muni, The Punjab past and Present Vol III, 1969, p.93, Sr. 45
[3] Surinder Singh Kohli, Dr., 1969, Tavels of Guru Nanak, Punjab University, Chandigarh, p.155.
[4]Modi, Jivanji Jamshedji (1854-1933), 1926, My Travels Outside Bombay, Iran, Azerbaijan, Baku,_ ‘_ (written in Gujarati), [2] Dr Joseph H. Peterson’ Web site: J.J. Modi: My Travels Outside Bombay: Iran, Azerbaijan, Baku
[5] SGGS = Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 1983 (reprint). Publishers: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar.
[6] Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD, 2007, Discovery of Commencing Verse of The Add Guru Granth Sahib in Baku, Azerbaijan, Journal of Understanding Sikhism,  Institute for Understanding Sikhism, Quebec, Canada,  July – December, Vol. 9, No 2 page 37
[7] Gurvinder Singh Chohan in his article ‘Guru Nanak’s Travel An Appraisal of Baku Visit’, published in The Research Journal Understanding Sikhism,  January –– December 2015, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 17-22
[8] Surinder Singh Kohli, Dr., 1969, Tavels of Guru Nanak, Punjab University, Chandigarh, p.157.
[9] Gurvinder Singh Chohan in his article ‘Guru Nanak’s Travel An Appraisal of Baku Visit’,  published in The Research Journal Understanding Sikhism,  January –– December 2015, Vol. 17, No. 1, p. 19


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