BABA SHRI CHAND JI

Baba Sri Chand is the founder of the ascetic sect of Udasis. He was a devoted Sikh and a saintly person.

He is the elder son of Guru Nanak. Unlike his father, he chose the life of an ascetic yogi.

He was born on 9 September 1494 at Sultanpur Lodhi, now located in Kapurthala district of the Punjab.

When Guru Nanak left home on his travels to distant places, Baba Sri Chand’s mother, Mata Sulakhani took him and his younger brother, Lakhmi Das, to her parents` home at Pakkhoke Randhave, located on the southern bank of the River Ravi.

Baba Sri Chand loved solitude. As he grew, he developed indifference to worldly affairs. At the tender age of eleven he left for Kashmir. He studied Sanskrit texts under Pandit Purushottam Kaul at Kashmir. He also studied and practiced yoga under Avinasha Muni.

After his travels, Guru Nanak settled at Kartarpur, which was located on the northern bank of River Ravi. Since this place not far away from Pakkhoke Randhave, Baba Siri Chand rejoined the family. He however retained his preference for the life of an ascetic.

Guru Nanak chose Bhai Lehna, one of his disciples, as his spiritual successor.

Guru Nanak left for heavenly abode at Kartarpur on 7 September 1539. A monument was raised over the site, where his ashes were buried. As the monument was washed away by floods in the river, Baba Siri Chand salvaged the urn containing the ashes. He reburied it at place, close to the well of Ajitta Randhava, a devotee of the late Guru. He built a mud hut at that location. That place was revered as a dehri or samadh (mausoleum) of Guru Nanak, around which the present town of Dera Baba Nanak grew. Baba Sri Chand stayed at Dera Baba Nanak to maintain Guru Nanaak Dev’s Gurdwara. He founded the Udasis sect at this place. Although his followers numbered in the millions, he encouraged them to be devotees of Guru Nanak. With his disciples, Baba Sri Chand traveled throughout the length and breadth of India, initiating many as Udasin or Udasi (stoic) sect. These Udasis functioned as itinerant teachers and established missionary centers at different places in the country and beyond. 

Baba Siri Chand latter established his main centre at Barath, eight kilometres southwest of Pathankot in Gurdaspur District of Punjab. Baba Sri Chand remained in touch with successive Gikh Gurus during his long life of well over a century. The Gurus also held him in high esteem in view of his holy descent, old age and piety.

Guru Amar Das Ji offered his eldest son Baba Mohan, who is the known as the custodian of Guru Sahib’s Pothis (hand written verses) from which Guru Arjun Dev ji compiled Guru Granth Sahib.

Baba Sri Chand heard about the beautiful new city of Ram Das Pur. He also heard about the compassion and humility of the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. Therefore, He went to Ram Das Pur to meet the Guru.

When Baba Sri Chand met Guru Ram Das, he commented that Guru Ram Das had the longest beard he had ever seen. Guru Ram Das, in an expression of honor to the son of Guru Nanak replied that his beard was long in order to wipe the feet of the saints like him. Saying these words, Guru Ram Das bent down to wipe the feet of Baba Sri Chand with his beard. Baba Sri Chand was deeply touched by the humility of the Guru. He pulled his feet back and declared that Guru Ram Das was truly the Light of Guru Nanak.

Baba Shri Chand had sent his disciple Baba Kamlya to invite Guru Arjan Dev to Barath. When SHRI Guru Arjan Dev visited Barath, Baba Shri Chand was pleased to know that the Guru was compiling Adi Granth. He asked him to collect the Bani (Holy Scripture) of first three Gurus from his disciple Baba Mohan.

He also gave him holy water from the Bauli (holy pond) of Barath to be added to the water of Sarovar (holy pond) of Gurdwara Tarn Taran.

Guru Hargobind Sahib also went to Barath to meet Baba Shri Chand. Baba Sri Chand complimented the Guru on his chivalry and piety. Baba Sri He expressed his ambition to adopt Guru Hargobind’s son Baba Gurditta. To mark the adoption, he handed over his mitre to young Baba Gurditta and said that the Guruship was already held by the Guru. He had only the faqir’s mitre, and that too was given to Guru’s family.

In 1626, Baba Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib founded the town of Kiratpur in the lower Sivalik hills. Baba Sri Chand was given the honor to lay the foundation stone of the city.

Baba Sri Chand went to Ramdas, Amritsar to attend the last rites of Baba Budha Ji, a respected personality in Sikhism.

Baba Sri Chand died at the age of 135 at Kiratpur on 13 January 1629. Since Baba Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind was the successor of Baba Sri chand. He is regarded as the patriarch of the Udasi Sampardai. Udasis received support and guidance from the Sikhs. Sikhs and Udasis lived together peacefully. After Guru Gobind Singh left for heavenly abode, the Udasis protected and maintained all the historical Gurdwaras for period of over a hundred years. During that time, Udasis also established schools

of learning to keep alive the knowledge of Sikh history and Gurmukhi language. Udasis had also set up Akharas (religious gatherings).  These Akharas were used to preach Adi Granth along with providing knowledge of Ayurved (traditional Indian medicine). Udasis moved like an army through the villages and towns.

They visited the Kumbh (the Kumbh mela, a Hindu religious festival occurring every 12 years) at Hardwar on elephants and horses.

Udasis are exempted from the Khalsa initiation. They were not initiated into the Khalsa because; they adopted the Udasi way of life.

The Darbar of Baba Shri Chand Ji is displaying its splendour within the complex of Dera Baba Bhuman Shah. It is a double storey building with a Beautiful Diwan hall. Inside the hall the domed Prakash asthan is captivating. The walls are decorated with beautiful frescoes depicting peacocks, birds, tigers, elephants, sarangis and tablas. Rhymes from Guru Granth Sahib are also inscribed at different places.This darbar was built by Mahant  Harbhajan Das in Samvat 1967 (1910 AD).Once, the Emperor Jehangir asked Sai Mian Mir, his

own darvesh (Muslim term for a powerful, truthful, God-intoxicated holy person) that who was the greatest darvesh at that time. Sai Mian Mir replied that the elder son of Guru Nanak was the king of the darveshes at that time.