AI Generated Summary
- At the heart of the village stands a gurdwara and a sarovar whose story, passed down through generations, is linked with Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru.
- Local tradition holds that the Guru remarked upon the contrast between the village’s name — associated with the courage of a lion — and the fear displayed by its inhabitants.
- Village elders have preserved an account of how an act of hospitality during a time of scarcity earned Bilaspur a lasting association with the Guru.
The name Ramsar Sahib is inseparably associated with Amritsar, where Guru Arjan Dev compiled the Adi Granth and composed Sukhmani Sahib. But nearly four centuries of oral history also attach the name Ramsar to a small village near Doraha in Ludhiana district.
Bilaspur village in Payal tehsil is commonly known among residents of the region as Ramsar Bilaspur. At the heart of the village stands a gurdwara and a sarovar whose story, passed down through generations, is linked with Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru.
Unlike many episodes of Sikh history recorded extensively in texts, the story of Ramsar Bilaspur survives largely through local memory. Village elders have preserved an account of how an act of hospitality during a time of scarcity earned Bilaspur a lasting association with the Guru.
According to the tradition narrated in the area, Guru Hargobind was travelling through the Malwa region after the Battle of Mehraj in 1630. Coming from the direction of Machhiwara and proceeding towards Dhilwan, the Guru and his companions reached Sehani village.
The travelling party needed water, rest and shelter. But the residents of Sehani, fearing repercussions from the Mughal authorities, are said to have kept their doors closed.
Local tradition holds that the Guru remarked upon the contrast between the village’s name — associated with the courage of a lion — and the fear displayed by its inhabitants. The place subsequently came to be associated with the name Gidri. The account continues to be narrated by elders on both sides of the neighbouring villages.
Guru Hargobind and his companions then proceeded to Bilaspur.
What awaited them there was not prosperity. Bilaspur itself was struggling with an acute shortage of water. Drinking water was scarce and the circumstances of its inhabitants were difficult.
Yet, according to generations of villagers, Bilaspur responded very differently.
Despite having little to offer, its residents opened their homes to the Guru and his companions and shared whatever resources they possessed.
“Our elders used to tell us that there was little water in the village, but there was no shortage of courage,” says Ranjit Singh, a resident of Bilaspur. “The people of Bilaspur welcomed Guru Sahib wholeheartedly.”
It is this contrast — between scarcity of resources and abundance of hospitality — that lies at the centre of the village’s collective memory.
Local tradition says Guru Hargobind was deeply pleased by the villagers’ generosity. He struck the dry earth with his spear, following which sweet water emerged from the spot.
The villagers subsequently excavated and lined the site to create a sarovar. They named it Ramsar, drawing inspiration from the sacred Ramsar Sarovar in Amritsar.
During his stay at Bilaspur, Guru Hargobind is believed to have held a diwan beneath the trees and met the local sangat. According to the tradition preserved in the village, he also blessed the newly created water source, saying that it would never run dry.
Centuries later, that sarovar remains the focal point of the village gurdwara.
Devotees arriving at the shrine traditionally visit the sarovar before proceeding to the prayer hall. Alongside it stands the langar hall, giving the story of Bilaspur’s hospitality a continuing physical expression.
For villagers, the fact that the sarovar continues to hold water even through severe summers is inseparable from the blessing associated with Guru Hargobind’s visit.
The history has also shaped the identity of younger generations. While the village’s official name remains Bilaspur, residents frequently identify their home as Ramsar Bilaspur.
For them, the name is more than a geographical marker. It recalls a choice their ancestors are believed to have made at a difficult moment: to share despite having little themselves.
“When I look at my elders, I feel proud,” says Amanpreet, a college student from the village. “Two villages were asked for help. One had much but refused, while the other had limited means and still opened its heart. Our elders’ generosity brought Guru Sahib’s blessings to this small village, and it became Ramsar Bilaspur.”
That sense of inheritance remains visible in everyday village life. Visitors are often taken first to the gurdwara and its sarovar — before being shown homes, fields or other landmarks.
The shrine also draws devotees from Payal, Doraha, Khanna, Rara Sahib and neighbouring areas. Every year, the birth anniversary of Guru Hargobind brings a larger congregation to the village.
For outsiders, Ramsar Bilaspur may remain a relatively little-known point on Punjab’s religious map. For its residents, however, the gurdwara and its enduring pool of water preserve a story that has travelled from one generation to another for nearly four centuries.
It is a story built around a simple idea: generosity is measured not by how much one possesses, but by how willingly one shares when there is little to spare.
