Gurudwara Wadda Ghalughara – Kutba Bahmania

This Gurdwara is situated at a distance of 6 KM West of Malerkotla and 6 Km South of Dhanaula in Village Kutba Bahmania. This Gurdwara is in the memory of all those Sikhs who won martyrdom fighting against the combined forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani of Afghanistan, Zain Khan,the Fauzdar of Sirhind and Bhikhan Khan, the Chief of Malerkotla. Ahmad Shah Durrani attacked India in January,1761. The third battle of Panipat took place between his forces and Marathas in which both sides suffered heavy losses, but Ahmad Shah Durrani emerged victorious. He looted and destroyed Delhi. When he started his journey to go back to Afghanistan, Sikhs attacked his forces, right from River Sutlej to the River Indus and liberated about 2000 women prisoners. Sikhs also took away major part of the looted wealth. Then Ahmad Shah decided to come back with a large force and destroy the Sikhs from the face of the Earth. He sent a force of about 12000 to crush Sikhs in August, 1761, but Sikhs defeated that force. In October, 1761 Sikhs defeated Obaid Khan, the Governor of Lahore and occupied Lahore. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was made King of the Sikh Nation. To take revenge, Ahmad Shah Durrani came back with a much larger force on 3 February, 1762. The Sikhs immediately vacated Lahore and decided to escort their families to the Lakhi Jungle (Lakhi Forest) of Malwa region. About 60000 Sikh men, women and children started moving towards Malwa region and crossed River Sutlej. Ahmad Shah Durrani started moving with a lightning speed. He asked Zain Khan, the Fauzdar of Sirhind and Bhikhan Khan, the Chief of Malerkotla to encircle Sikhs from the Eastern side. On 5 February, 1762 Ahmad Shah with his forces crossed River Sutlej and attacked the slow moving Sikhs from the Western side. The forces of Sirhind and Malerkotla attacked from the other side. At that time Sikhs had reached between Villages Kup and Rahira. They formed a protective ring, around 4 Km long, to surround and protect their families. The Sikhs continued to fight and move towards Malwa region. The fighting continued for the whole Day. At sunset both the forces reached near a pond, near Villages Kutba and Bahmania, about 25 km West of Kup-Rahira. The fighting stopped here when Ahmad Shah's forces decided to take water. The Sikhs had already lost around 30000 men, women and children. This was the heaviest blow suffered by the Sikhs in their History, hence the name Wadda Ghalughara was given to that massacre of Sikhs. The rest of the Sikhs escaped towards Barnala. Because of exhaustion, Ahmad Shah Durrani decided not to follow them. However, Durrani blew up the Golden Temple of Amritsar and filled the Sarovar with refuse and dead cow. The Sikhs reorganized themselves in a short period of three Months and in May, 1762 they attacked Zain Khan at Sirhind and captured Sirhind. In October, 1762 Sikhs attacked Afghan forces and pushed them out of Amritsar At Sunset, the Sikhs with muslim pursuers arrived at a large a pond, near the villages of Kutba and Bahmania, about 25 km West of Rohira and Kup where Gurdwara Sri Wadda Ghallughara Sahib Kutba is located. The attack stopped here when Ahmad Shah's exhausted forces took water. By this time, Sikhs had lost around 30000 men, women and children. Sardar Jassa Singh was inflicted with 22 wounds and Sardar Charat Singh (the grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) with 19. Every single Sikh warrior bore wounds from trying to defend their families. The remaining Sikhs escaped towards Barnala and Ahmad Shah thought it prudent not to pursue them in the little known semi-desert with an army that had had no rest during the past two days and had suffered considerable loss of life in the daylong battle. Ahmad Shah carried 50 cartloads of Sikh heads to Lahore belonging to the slain in battle and erected large pyramids. He also took many captives. The two original volumes of the Holy Granth from Amritsar and Damdama Sahib were lost to the Afghans.