GURUDWARA SHRI MOTI BAGH SAHIB
Gurdwara Moti Bagh Sahib is situauted in Ring Road in Delhi city near Dhaula Kuan. GURU GOBIND SINGH JI camped with his army at this place. Earlier it was known as Moti Bagh and later the name was known as Moti Bagh. GURU SAHIB JI announced his arrival in delhi by shooting an arrow into right foot of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah's chair from Distance of eight miles, Bahadur Shah was sitting in Red fort at that time. Seeing an Arrow, Bahadur Shah took this as Miracle. Soon another arrow was shoot in left foot with a note that this was not a Miracel but a skill in archery. Emperor was impressed with the skill and Aknowledged GURU SAHIBS supermacy.
Gurdwara Moti Bagh is associated with the tenth Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He camped here during his first visit to Delhi. He had come to Delhi in response to the request made by Prince Muazzam who sought his help in the battle of succession for the throne of Delhi. This happened in 1707, when the struggle for succession started due to sudden death of Emperor Aurangzeb in Decean. Bhai Nand Lal great scholar and poet of Persian, a devotee of Guruji, requested him to help Prince Muazzam, the eldest son of Aurangzeb.
Guru Gobind Singh already had a good impression about the prince who earned the displeasure of his father by refusing to attack the former at Anandpur Sahib. The prince had been deputed by the Mughal Emperor to surpress the activities of the Guru in Punjab. He had received alarming reports in Deccan from Chiefs of Shivalik Hills against the Guru. But the prince after making impartial inquiry into the false reports sent by the hill chiefs wrote to the Emperor that Guru Gobind Singh was a darvesh (Holyman) and the real trouble makers were the Hill Rajas. Opposition to father's will had cost the prince imprisonment.
Aurangzeb did not believe in what his son wrote and sent four of his best generals as messengers to find out the truth. These generals also reported that the Guru had done nothing against anyone and he led a saintly life in his city state. They infact also punished some trouble-makers who had been creating problems for the Guru.
In 1704, Anandpur Sahib was again beseiged by the combined troops of hill chiefs and the Mughal contingent when Aurangzeb envisaged to dislodge the Guru from his stronghold on the persuasion of hill rulers and the Mughal Governors. After putting up a tough fight the Guru chose to vacate Anandpur Sahib.
In subsequent battles the Guru suffered heavy losses. But he still had no ill-will against the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor and agreed to help him in the battle of succession. He was such a fine archer that when he shot two arrows from a colony of cobblers in Moti Bagh they hit the 'Divan' of the Prince Muazzam (King Bahadurshah). The Guru shot first arrow to announce his arrival in Delhi and the second arrow carried a chit saying, "It is not magic but skill of archery".
The deohri from where Guru Gobind Singh shot the arrows has been preserved and Guru Granth Sahib has been installed there as a mark of respect to the superb archery of the Guru. Even now from the top of the deohri (gate) one can see the skyline of Delhi and the Red Fort.
The Sikhs of Delhi have constructed a new Gurdwara building. But old building from where the tenth Guru shot two arrows to Red Fort is still intact. The Gurdwara Moti Bagh is situated on the Ring Road between Dhaula Kuan and Shanti Path.
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Gurudwara Shri Moti Bagh Sahib is an ancient Gurudwara, related with the ninth Sikh Guru - Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on his journey towards Delhi through Kiratpur Sahib, Bharatgarh Sahib, Roap Makar, and Kabulpur reached this place. Guru Ji came to this place to fulfill the wish of Saint Saif Khan, a great follower of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Guru Ji lived here for three months and was served by Saif Khan with great respect and devotion. In the day time, Guru Ji used to meditate at the Qila, which is close to this place and come back in the night to rest here. From this place Guru Ji left towards Samana, rested in the haveli of Muhammad Bakhsish and from there he left towards Cheeka via Karhali and Balbera.
