MAHAPURSH BHAI LALO JI.
After 3 days of meditation at the bank of a small river VEYIEN at Sultanpur Lodhi & getting Enlightenment, Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji decided to give the message of GOD to the whole world, THE RIGHT AND TRUE WAY OF LIFE i.e. Remember and pray one and only one God, Every one is the creation of God hence none is big or small, Earning of livelihood honestly, Help the poor and needy & Respect the women folk since without her the life cycle cannot run properly. The great Guru ji with his spiritual powers started to find out such a personality that is already following this way of life with whom He can discuss His plans of preaching. He was none other than Mahapursh BHAI LALO JI, at Aimnabad ( Saidpur at that time), Dist. Gujaranwala, now in Pakistan. Bhai Lalo ji Born on Tuesday, 11 Assun, 1452, Samat 1509, to mother BIBI KHEMO and FATHER JAGAT RAM GHATAURE. He was a saint type and God fearing man from the very childhood. He was also a soft spoken and cool. Always ready to help the needy persons with money and work. As grownup, he became a very good WOODEN CRAFTMAN & AYUREVED with knowledge of medicinal herbs. He was known as a best Hakeem of TIEFIED FEVER (TAEATAP). He also got build a WELL in his house for drinking water, even now this water is treated as Amrit and cures many ailments. Anyone who so ever comes to him for any ailment, he was served with free medication, food, cool & sweet water of the well. He always remember the GOD ALMIGHTY and pray for the good of all the humanity. For the first time in 1507, Guru ji with Bhai Mardana visited Bhai Lalo ji at Aimnabad from Sultanpur Lodhi. Guru ji stayed here for 22 days and ate his Bajra Roti. Bhai Lalo ji prepared a new CHARPAI (Manji), everyday for sleeping of Guru ji and thus 22 Charpai (Manjis) got ready. Lateron all these 22 MANJIS sent to different place for the preaching of Guru ji’s message. One of these Manjis can be seen even today at Village Shamspur, Bahadurgarh near Patiala.
Jalim Khan, ruler of Aimnabad, had one official named Malik Bhago, who was a public looter and ammased illegal money and other valueables from the poor public, everyone was cursing him for his misdeeds. His son Jagjiwan Malik was also on the same lines of his father, a very bad character and was doing all the wrongdoing to the village women folks. A Hukmi named daughter of Khushala was adult and very charming. Jagjiwan Malik came to know about her and had a bad eye on her. He asked his men to forcibly pick up her and bring her to his residence. Then he tried his best to assault her sexually but she was strong enough to get out of his cluches and jumped out from the high walls of his haveli (residence) and died. The whole Saidpur (Aimnabad) got stirred and every one was cursing the son of Malik for the death of Hukmi. When the father and mother of Hukmi came to know of this incident they were very much shocked and angry but the Malik family was not listening to their wailes. This effected their hearts and mental thinking. Due to this shock and grief, the father Khushala started telling the people that there are Ghosts in the Haveli that eat the human being so no body should go to that side. The mother of Hukmi said O’ GOD the son of the Malik be cursed with a serious illness called MIRGI and be punished accordingly for the death of her daughter. It is said that it so happened that the son of the Malik Bhago, got ill with the MIRGI desease and efforts to cure him by all Hakims & Vaids gone in vain. Now Malik Bhago called all the Kazis, Molvis, Pandits & Astrologists to find out the future of his son. After all the calculations, some said there is no hope but some said to give a Bruhmbhoj (Free meal or langar) to all the people of Aimnabad, including all Sadhus, Fakirs, Pandits and Molvis and they should pray for the cureness of the Jagjiwan Malik. Accordingly Malik arranged a Bruhmbhoj and called the resident of Aimnabad to participate in it and pray for the cureness of his son. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was also there with Bhai Lalo ji but did not went to the Haveli of Malik. When Bhago, came to know that Guru ji and Bhai Lalo did not come to participate in the Bruhmbhoj, he asked his men to bring them forcibly. At last when Guru ji went there, Malik asked the reason for not participating in the bruhmbhoj and pray for his son. Guru ji told him that his entire wealth is illgotten from the poor people of his village and it contains the sweet & blood of these people hence we cannot eat such bruhmbhoj. After listening very straight and true talks of Guru ji, Malik got angry and asked Guru ji to prove it. Then Guru ji took his eatables in one and the Bajra Roti of Bhai Lalo ji in the other hand and pressed it before all the congregation. The eatables of Malik shown drops of Blood, while the Roti of Bhai Lalo shown drops of Milk. Everybody was astonished on this event. Now Malik Bhago had no option than to BOW ON THE FEET OF GURU JI and agreed to do. Guru ji advised to say SATKARTAR AND REMEMBER HIM ALWAYS and distribute all the illgotten wealth to all the poor and needy people and also promise to do no injustice to anyone in the future. Then Malik’s wife requested Guru ji to cure her son, Guru ji asked Bhai Lalo ji to bring a Roti from his home and put a piece of into the mouth of ailing son of Malik and say SATKARTAR. By doing so, his son started getting cured. He also promised not do any misdeed in the future.
Bhai Lalo ji had only one Daughter, named Bibi Rajjo. She was married in 1517 during the 2nd visit of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji at Aimnabad. Guru ji himself participated in the marriage and sang the Bani in Rag Aasa, as it is written in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on Ang 351, Mahla Pehla. Hence Guru ji started GURMAT MARRIAGE from this day. To start 3rd Round of the Journey, Guru ji visited Bhai Lalo ji as usual. But this time BABAR attacked India, took control of Lahore and Aimnabad also. His forces made a large scale distruction of properties, looted everything and made slave of many Hindu men and womenfolks. Guru ji saw this scene himself and cursed the Babar and his forces and discribed it in his Babar Bani in Rag Tilang in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji Ang 722-23 and called with profound love and affection 7 times BHAI LALO as “ VE-LALO”. In his last days, he went to his Daughter at village TATLA, Dist. Gujjaranwala, Pakistan and went to his heavenly abode in 1531.
While analysing the life history of Bhai Lalo ji, following facts come to light that Bhai Lalo ji was living a true life style as Sri Guru Nank Dev ji advised the whole world to follow. 1. REMEMBER THE GOD (SIMRAN), 2. HAVE FAMILY LIFE AND WORK TO EARN LIVLIHOOD (KIRT KARNA), 3. HELP THE NEEDY AND POOR ( VAND CHHAKANA), 4. DONOT AMASS WEALTH AND BE PROUDY (ANHKAR OF WEALTH), 5. CONTROL SEX AND ANGER (KAM & KRODH) etc. Bhai Lalo ji having his own house of 7 Marlas with a Well for drinking water and everyone was having water from it. He was doing Wooden Craftman work and earning his livelihood. He was having his family i.e. his wife and a daughter. He was a very good and expert Ayureved i.e. Hakeem and was doing free service to all the needy and poor people. He was a God fearing man and hence always remember HIM. This was an ideal & true life style and Guru Nanak Dev ji approved and preached this Life Style by visiting him before starting His world journeys. Guru ji stayed almost 11 months with him and appreciated his food and hospitality & rejected the illgotten luxries of Malik Bhago. During first stay of 22 days Bhai Lalo ji prepared a NEW COT for every night sleep. This is a record of love, affection and respect Bhai Lalo ji had for Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and same had Guru ji for Bhai Lalo ji that is why he was called as BHAI (BROTHER). On the very first day when Bhai Lalo prepared Bajara Roti, Bhai Mardana refused to eat it but Guru ji asked him to eat it. Even then he did not budge from his deniel, Guru ji advised him to taste it little bit. So when he tasted it then got such a good taste that he started demanding more and more. It is very unfortunate that our own so called preachers and religious leaders are not propgating the true facts and figures of life history and heritage of our ancestors out of their jelousy and spreading misinformation by saying Bhai Lalo ji was of a very lower caste and poor figure that is why Guru ji went to him to help improve his financial conditions and to ask him i.e. Bhai Lalo, not only craft wood but craft your heart also. This way they are just trying to malign the image of such a true & beloved follower of Guru ji as detailed above. The undersigned now make a humble request to everybody to please give a right message to the entire world to follow in practical the TEACHINGS AND PATH as shown by our GREAT GURUS, SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI AND OUR RESPECTED ANCESTORS. This will attract & encourage others to understand our point of view better and thus the whole world will appreciate the SIKHS and will desire to become a true sikh and adopt SIKH LIFE STYLE.
Gian Singh Bamrah, Mob: 9464283050, 6283317292..
PRESIDENT, RANGARHIA HERITAGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AMRITSAR. Website: www.ramgarhiahhsociety.org
