Gurudwara Majnu ka tillaDetails and Information

Pilgrimage in India -Gurudwaras(गुरूद्वारे)

Majnu-ka-tilla

Majnu-ka-tilla is a Tibetan refugee colony in Delhi, India that was established around 1960.Majnu-ka-tilla is also sometimes called New Aruna Colony, Chungtown, and Samyeling. It is located between the Yamuna River and Delhi's Outer Ring Road near ISBT Kashmiri Gate.
The area literally meaning the hillock of Majnu is named after the tilla or mound where a local Iranian Sufi mystic, Abdulla nicknamed Majnu, met Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak on July 20, 1505. Majnu ferried people across the Yamuna River for free as a service to God, his devotion resulted in the Nanak staying here till end July. In later history Sikh military leader Baghel Singh built the Majnu ka Tila Gurudwara to commemorate the stay in 1783, and the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Har Gobind also stayed here. Today it is one of oldest extant Sikh shrines in Delhi and the surrounding estate of donated by early 19th-century Sikh Emperor, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

History
During the reign of Sultan Sikander Shah Lodhi, a Muslim hermit lived here. He used to carry people across the river, in his boat, free of charge. He yearned for glimpse of God. He was so much lost in his thoughts that the people started calling him "Majnu", the Persian lover whose name became symbolic of intense love in mysticism in the Sufi literature. When Guru Nanak visited this place, he blessed the Muslim hermit, who attained enlightenment and became a devout disciple of the great Guru. His hermitage on the bank of the Yamuna on a hillock came to be known as Majnu-ka-Tilla (the hillock of Majnu). Many people were attracted by the divine personality of Majnu. Infact, radiant spirit and dedicated love for the Guru, made this Shrine as an outstanding missionary centre for centuries to follow. 'Many Sufi saints of Delhi went to meet Guruji when he was camping atop this hillock and held spiritual discussions with him. Most prominent among those who came to pay homage and were deeply influenced by Guru Nanak Dev was the Sajjada Nashin of the Mosoleum of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. This hillock was also blessed by the visit of the sixth Guru Sri HarGobind.
He was a dynamic personality who instilled revolutionary spirit into the Sikhs to make them saviours of dharma and righteousness. He emboldened his followers morally, mentally, and physically to defeat evil designs of the Mughal rulers to annihilate rich cultural heritage of the country. It was as a religious head, who in the history of the world with two swords of Pin and Miri) spiritual and temporal, a combination of Bhakii and Shakti, created warrior saints, to fight against tyranny and oppression. It is worth mentioning here that the ideology given by Guru Hargo bind shattered the designs of the rulers and changed the course of our history from slavery to self respect and dignity. It was again in pursuance of his policy of militarising the Sikhs, that Guru HarGobind laid the foundation of the 'Akal Takht' just opposite Harmandir Sahib. It is from Akal Takht that all the hukamnamas, i.e. religious decrees are issued to Sikhs. These decrees are binding on all members of Sikh community. It served as a unifying force and a rallying centre for the Sikhs during the turbulent times.
When Guru HarGobind was invited by Emperor Jahangir, he came and stayed at Gurdwara Majnu-Ka-Tilla. The suspicious Emperor got him deported to Gwalior and imprisoned him there. Later he was released. He insisted that all other prisoners also be set free. On his way back to Punjab, Guruji again stayed at Majnu-Ka-Tilla.
When Guru Har Rai the seventh Guru sent his son Ram Rai to explain the tenets of Sikhism to Emperor, Aurangzeb, he also stayed at Majnu-Ka-Tilla. Thus the Gurdwara here acquired historic importance. It is said that when Guru Nanak Dev blessed Majnu with supreme enlightenment and was pleased with his dedication, he said that his name "will be immortalized". So in sacred memory of this Muslim Saint the Shrine was named as Gurdwara Majnu-Ka-Tilla. There is a well in the compound of this holy Shrine. It is said that Ram Rai showed his miracles to Aurangzeb near this well. It is also said that 'General Baghel Singh' who conquered Delhi in 1783 and held it under his away for a few months, also encamped at MajnuKa-Tilla. According to records it was General Baghel Singh who raised a small structure at this sacred pla9e to perpetuate the memory of the Sikh Gurus. The tiny, old marble Gurdwara which exists even today,. was constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh who also endowed it with a jagir. The income from this jagir was spent on the maintenance of this historical Shrine. In 1950 a big Gurdwara building was constructed by the people of Delhi.
This Majestic Gurdwara is situated on the right bank of the River Yamuna on the Grand Trunk Road (National Highway-1), opposite Timarpur, Delhi.
This gurdwara is associated with the First Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. A Muslim recluse had his hermitage at this spot on the bank of the river Yamuna. He led a lonely life of penitence and prayer. His fasts made him so thin that people called him Majnu. He met the Guru, who blessed him with enlightenment

Tibetan settlement
The colony had approximately 2,500 residents in 378 family groups as of 2000. Most residents of Majnu-ka-tilla left Tibet in 1959-60, when the Dalai Lama too went into exile. Residents have strong ethnic identification: in one survey of young adult recent arrivals from Tibet and young adult children of Tibetan refugees in Majnu-ka-tilla, all identified as 100% Tibetan, nearly all wanted to marry Tibetans, and around 60% said that 80% or more of their friends were Tibetan.
The economy of Majnu-ka-tilla centers around hotels and restaurants. In addition, there is a market of retail stalls (including bookshops, curio shops, metalsmiths, and a beauty parlor), internet cafes, and travel agencies.The neighborhood is popular among foreign and domestic tourists as well as among Delhi University students.
The legal status of Majnu-ka-tilla has previously come into dispute. In 1995, residents were "given a formal assurance from the Centre" that they would be allowed to remain at the site until the international dispute over Tibet was settled. In June 2006, the colony was served a court-issued notice indicating that it would be demolished in connection with the Delhi government's road expansion and Yamuna River beautification plan. At least two buildings were demolished in connection with this order.As of 2012; however, a court order had avoided eviction, regularizing the status of the colony