Babe Da Viah - Batala

Guru Nanak Dev Ji's wife, Sulakhni was the daughter of Mool Chand, who hailed from the Batala area of Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Usually, special rituals are performed at the Gurudwara Kandh Sahib, but this year, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the celebrations have been cancelled. Read on to know more about the marriage anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Sulakhni Mata. Popularly referred to as 'Babe Da Viah', the tradition of celebrating the wedding anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji began in 1917 after a priest named Kesra Singh organised the 'Akhand Path' at the Gurdwara Kandh Sahib. In this place, the Guru discussed his marriage centuries ago. The wedding ceremony took place in 1487.The father of the bride wanted to have an elaborate wedding ceremony, but Guru Nanak Dev Ji opted for a simple ritual. While discussing the marriage, Guru Nanak Dev Ji was sitting near a mud wall that was severely damaged due to heavy rains. An old woman cautioned Guru Nanak Dev Ji about the wall and asked him to move away from it, but he said that the wall would remain as it is and wouldn't fall. Interestingly, the wall still remains intact, and it happens to be a part of the Gurudwara Kandh Sahib. A few meters away from this Gurudwara is the Gurudwara Dera Sahib or the house of Mata Sulakhni Ji. This place is also called the Viah Asthan Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji married Sulakhni by taking four rounds around the sacred fire instead of seven.