BIHARSHARIF: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar on Thursday bowed his head before Guru Granth Sahib and participated in the concluding day functions at Rajgir’s Sheetal Kund on the occasion of 354th birth anniversary of tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
The CM later inspected the construction work for Gurdwara Shri Nanak Dev Sheetal Kund Sahib and Makhdoom Kund. He expressed satisfaction over the progress of work and said the construction of Sheetal Kund would be completed before the Prakashotsava next year.
“Guru Nanakji Maharaj had visited the place in 1506. There were several kunds of warm water around the place then. However, the water was not suitable for drinking purpose. Local residents gathered around Gurunanak Dev Maharaj and requested him for a ‘kund’ of cold or normal water. Gurunanak Devji then touched water of a warm kund with his feet and it turned cold. This is how the Sheetal Kund came into existence. A small gurdwara was built around it long ago, which was named Sheetal Kund Gurdwara,” the CM said.
The new gurdwara is being built in an area of one acre with an estimated expenditure of Rs 12 crore. Nitish said once the gurdwara is ready, people visiting Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara in Patna will also visit Sheetal Kund at Rajgir.
“Rajgir is a unique place as it is associated with all major religions. It was the capital of Magadh Empire before being shifted to Pataliputra,” Nitish said. The CM added that Gurdwara Sheetal Sahib will soon receive water from the Ganga as the groundwater is fast depleting.
At Makhdoom Kund, the CM offered ‘chadar’ at the shrine of Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, a great saint of 12th century, who spent 24 years praying at the place which was named after him.