Kandh Sahib, Batala: the marriage of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Mata Sulakhani Ji

The Jorh Mela at Gurdwara Kandh Sahib in Batala, Gurdaspur district, remembers the marriage of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Mata Sulakhani Ji, which tradition places in 1487. It is the largest annual gathering in Batala, a celebration as much as a remembrance.

The wedding at Batala

Mata Sulakhani Ji was the daughter of Bhai Mool Chand Chona, a Khatri of Pakhoke Randhawa, who was living at Batala. The young Nanak, then working at Sultanpur Lodhi, came to Batala with his wedding party, accompanied by his family and friends. Tradition remembers that the bride's family, being followers of old customs, were uneasy that the groom would not perform all the usual rituals, and that some of them argued with the Guru.

The wall that did not fall

The wedding party was seated beside an old mud wall, and tradition remembers that some hoped it would fall on the Guru. An old woman warned him that the wall was about to collapse; the Guru answered calmly that it would stand for ages to come. A part of that mud wall, the kandh, is still preserved under glass at Gurdwara Kandh Sahib, which takes its name from it. Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Batala marks the place where the wedding ceremony was held.

Family life

Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Mata Sulakhani Ji had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. The Guru's marriage is often recalled as part of his teaching that the spiritual life is lived within the family, not by renouncing it.

The Jorh Mela

The mela is held each year with Nagar Kirtan recreating the wedding procession from Sultanpur Lodhi, kirtan, Ardas and langar.