Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri visits Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, in Ayodhya on March 4, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Tuesday (March 4, 2025) described Ayodhya as a “meeting ground of Sanatana Dharma and Sikhism” as he paid obeisance both at the Ram Temple there as well as at the historic Gurudwara Sahib, associated with both the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev, and the last, Guru Gobind Singh.
In a series of posts on X, Mr. Puri shared pictures of his Monday visit to the Uttar Pradesh temple town, discussing its significance to two faiths.
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“Ayodhyadham, the sacred meeting ground of Sanatan Dharma and Sikhism. The holy land blessed by Prabhu Shri Ram and three Sikh Guru Sahibs – the holy Udaasi of the founder of Sikh faith Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj in 1510-11 AD, 9th Guru Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji in 1668 and our Dasham Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1672 who had founded the Khalsa Panth,” he said.
“I had the good fortune to pay obeisance and seek blessings at the historic Gurdwara Sahibs by the serene Saryu river in Brahmakund, Ayodhyadham,” he added.
Joint defence
Recalling historic occasions when Hindus and Sikhs had stood together with regard to the Ram Temple, Mr. Puri noted that in 1697, “when the invading Mughal army under Aurangazeb attacked the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji sent a battalion of 400 Nihang Sikhs to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Aghoris in a fierce battle.”
The founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev, also visited Ayodhya in 1510-11, as the birth place of Shri Ram, an event quoted by one of the judges in the Ram Janmabhoomi case.
In another post, Mr. Puri said he was “divinely blessed to feel the sacred water of the well from which water was drawn for the holy bath of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Maharaj also sprinkled this holy water to bless the devotees.”
The Gurudwara Sahib also acts as a reliquary for objects related to Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Tegh Bahadur. “The central domed room, octagonal in shape and with a marble floor, is called Singhasan Sthan Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It encloses the former platform on which are placed the sacred relics: a pair of sandals once worn by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, along with a steel arrow, a dagger, a spear and a chakar. There is also a hand-written copy of the Holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib dated 1838 Bikrami (1781 AD) and other holy scriptures,” Mr. Puri added.
Published – March 04, 2025 07:59 pm IST