Thakurdwara Bhagwan Narainji: Difference between revisions

The Vaishnav establishment at Pandori Dham was founded by local Ramanandi saint ''Shri Bhagwanji'' who was a [[Dogras|Dogra]] ''Khajuria'' [[Brahmin]] born at [[Kahnuwan]] town in Gurdaspur. As per local tradition, ''Shri Bhagwanji'' during his early years had met Ramanandi saint ''Shri [[Krishnadas Payahari]]'' of [[Galtaji|Galta dham]] in [[Rajasthan]] who had brought him into order of Ramanandi Vaishnavism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burchett |first=Patton E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ASd2DwAAQBAJ&dq=Pindori&pg=PT162 |title=A Genealogy of Devotion: Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in North India |date=2019-05-28 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-54883-0 |language=en |quote=According to the tradition of Pindori Dhām, a major Rāmānandī center in the Gurdaspur district of Panjab, the young Bhagvān-jī met Kṛṣṇadās Payahārī at Galta while on a pilgrimage. Payahārī is said to have converted him to Vaiṣṇavism}}</ref> The shrine is also said to have won the allegiance of Hindu princely states of hills of [[Jammu division|Jammu]] & [[Himachal Pradesh|Himachal]]. The [[Rajput]] rulers of princely states especially [[Nurpur kingdom|Nurpur]], Jammu, [[Ramkot, Jammu and Kashmir|Mankot]], [[Guler State|Guler]], [[Basohli (town)|Basohli]], [[Chamba State|Chamba]], [[Bandralta State|Bandralta]], [[Jasrota]], [[Jaswan]] were particularly devoted to the Pandori dham.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVnrAAAAMAAJ&q=pindori+mankot |title=Roopa-Lekhā |date=1971 |publisher=All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society |language=en |quote=The Mahants of Pindori stood in a similar relationship with the Rajput chiefs of the hill States. There is evidence at Pindori that the rulers of Nurpur, Chamba, Guler, Jaswan, Jammu, Bandralta and Mankot, among others, offered...}}</ref> The second [[Mahant]] of Pandori dham, ''Shri Narainji'' is said to have survived the ordeal inflicted to him by Muslim Emperor [[Jahangir]] who had poisoned him to test his miraculous powers. ''Shri Narainji'' survived which left Jahangir feel ashamed and ultimately led him to accept the supremacy of the shrine.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IgRDAAAAYAAJ&q=Pindori+Jahangir |title=Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society |date=1971 |publisher=The Society |language=en |quote=...dates back to the days of Emperor Jahangir. Narainji, the second Mahant, according to traditional accounts, survived an ordeal by poison in the presence of Jahangir who bequeathed to}}</ref> The shrine of Pandori also received royal patronage during the reign of [[Ranjit Singh|Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] who often journeyed the shrine for happiness.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharamā |first=Rādhā |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnwMAQAAMAAJ&q=Pindori+Ranjit |title=Contemporary and Later Perspectives on Maharaja Ranjit Singh |date=2007 |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |isbn=978-81-7770-141-8 |pages=9 |language=en |quote=According to Indu Banga, the Bairagi establishment of Pindori near Batala was 'more affluent in the Sikh times than ever before or perhaps even after'}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Suri (lala) |first=Sohan Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Se0CAAAAMAAJ&q=Pindori+Ranjit |title=pts.1-5.Chronicle of the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1831-1839 A.D |date=1961 |publisher=S. Chand |pages=34 |language=en |quote=Secondly, it stated as to how he journeyed from Kapurthala to Talibpur Pindori and became a source of happiness for the Mahararja }}</ref>