Gurudwara Manji Sahib (Ambala)

Ambala city is situated on the National Highway popularly called Sher Shah Sun Marg about 190 km from Delhi and 48 km from Chandigarh. This city was sanctified by the sixth Guru Sri Hargobind and Sri Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Guru. Gurudwara Manji Sahib was constructed at the place where the sixth Guru stayed during his visit to Ambala city. The grand building of the Gurudwara is located on the G.T. Road (Sher Shah Suri Marg). The devotees visit this shrine to have a dip in the tank nearby. They also take Amrit from the Baoli constructed by the sixth Guru, during his stay here. Gurdwara Baoli Sahib or Gurdwara Manji Sahib – Guru Hargobind is said to have stayed here overnight while on his way to meet emperor Jahangir. The villagers of the nearby Khurampur Majri complained of perennial scarcity of drinking water. The Guru encouraged them a dig a baoli and instructed some Sikhs who lived here to assist the villagers in digging and lining the baoli. The Guru was pleased to see the work completed on his return from Delhi. The Sikhs established a memorial platform, Manji Sahib, at the place where the Guru had stayed near the baoli. But the baoli again got partly filled up and fell into disuse. After the conquest of Sirhind in 1764, when the Dal Khalsa distributed territories among various misls, Ambala was occupied by Sardar Mehar Singh of Nishananwali Misl. He got the baoli cleared and cleaned and established a Gurdwara at the site of the manji Sahib. This is the present Gurdwara Manji Sahib, the premier Gurdwara of Ambala. Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha (1871-1911) rebuilt it in the beginning of the 20th century. Further development took place after 1947. The Gurdwara is close to the first bus stop of the city when approached from Punjab by the Grand Trunk Road. The old baoli is still there and therefore the Gurdwara is also called Baoli Sahib.