Things you didn’t know about Baba Sidh Goria Shrine at Swankha

Baba Sidh Goria is a very popular shrine in the state of Jammu and Kashmir where people in lakhs pay obeisance annually and is the presiding deity of many clans. It is situated at Swankha village in Samba district, Jammu.

Here are just a few historical facts that most people may not know about the Baba Sidh Goria shrine:

1. If we look back the history of Baba Sidh Goria Ji, we have clear reference from books that in early 20th century “nath” community came to north India under the leadership of Guru Gorakh Nath Ji and here they started treating people who have suffered from multiple diseases, they used to tie raw thread and used holy soil (Vibuti) as a medicine. They preached the humanity in the area by saving lot of lives and earned name and fame. Baba Sidh Goria Ji was one of the disciple of guru Gorakh Nath Ji among others.

2. Baba Goria Nath, a follower of renowned legendary saint Guru Gorakh Nath took salvation while bathing in the pond at the place where the Devasthal stands. Since then it is believed that the water of the holy sarovar(pond) have mystic powers.

3. Story of Faith: According to one reference there was a king namely Vikram Dev ruling the Jammu state in 12th century and city was situated on hill top. During that period there was a acute scarcity of drinking water for the people. Raja Vikram dev ordered to dig a well to arrange water for the people and after digging 150 feet deep there was no sign of water found.

The king was very much disappointed and he called all his prohits and pandits for solution and in turn they collectively suggested the king to arrange a Brahmin boy of black colour for sacrifice who have no real brother. After listening there justification the king shocked and thought in mind that he is digging a well for the welfare of people but this incident will definitely land him in trouble tomorrow and he will earn only sins out of it. It is fact that king always love to his people more than his son.

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He ordered his soldiers to give whatever price but bring required child as per suggestion of pandits. The soldiers went out for searching here and there but all efforts went in vain. Ultimately when they were returning back they came across a boy namely “veeru” soldiers asked his family details., Veeru said his father is called “laddha” and mothers name is “yamuna”. He also told that his father needs money and perhaps he will be agree for such condition you put for. The soldiers went to veeru’s house and made discussion for selling off his son. Laddha sold his son against money equal to his weight .While leaving his house veeru said to his father that you don’t love to your son, you love only money. On this his mother wept loudly on this inhuman deal..

Veeru brought in front of king and he said ” you take meals of your choice today as you have to give sacrifice in this well for sake of water”, veeru told with smile “he had already left the food from the day one you ordered digging the well”. He suggested the king if water could be made available without any sacrifice, will it be acceptable to him? The king smiled and questioned that how it is possible? any way if it happens so without any sacrifice i have no objection at all. I want drinking water to be emerged.
Basically veeru was a disciple of a Guru Gorakh Nath ji and he reminded his guru in that difficulty after closing his eyes and it is said that guru Gorakh Nath ji ordered veeru to put one drop of blood from his finger into well and he did same and at once the dry well becomes full of water with miracle. So looking this miracle everyone including king became happy but veeru gave “Shraaf” to king that if he drinks water from this well he will have a serious skin disease. After listening shraaf the king left the state and went to Delhi where he started service under the king “Jallaludin”.

He reached to higher post by way of his honesty and bravery. He wore mighty physique and being handsome he fell in love to daughter of Jalllaludin. Some time passed she became pregnant. Jallaludin could not tolerate this humiliation. Raja Vikram Dev ran away from Delhi but was caught by the soldiers of Jallaludin at the Jammu state border and was killed by the hands of soldiers there only. Then after Jallaludin ordered to buried alive his daughter in the forest and by the grace of god some air holes was left by the labours by mistake which helped the child to breathe inside the ground. So the birth of a child took place inside the ground and he continue growing over there.

One day some people of Jallaludin were praying in the forest, they spotted a child was playing on the ground they saw that boy and took into custody and brought in the king’s court. The king became happy to find a boy because he had no son in the family, he declared the name of boy as “Goria” because he emerged from (kabar).

Goria was very active and being a naughty and clever he used to play with women and some time even he broken women pitchers when they were going for bringing water, on this act one day jallaludin could not tolerate his mistakes and he rebuked him badly. Goria left the darbar of jallaludin and went to Raj Bhavan of Raja Govind and was placed as a bodyguard there. After some time by virtue of his hard work and bravery he ascended as wazir in the kingdom of king govtnd who expired after a brief illness. During his rule he did a lot of atrocities on people especially oh sadhu samaj and yogies etc .He was giving order to his subordinates to fullfill his order whatever it may be.

An example of a tailor comes here that the king wanted to stitch his suit without using needle and thread which worried the tailor very much and his wife. Both were upset by that order. They thought they will be executed by the king if things will not done as per his wishes. One day a sadhu guru Gorakh Nath Ji came to tailors house and said after giving a piece of cloth to wash out properly but suggested to wash with mitti and as he washed the cloth it became clean, then sadhu gave him a spiritual mantra to tailor because of his honesty , that if any time when you recall me in difficulty i will help you.

On this occurrence he fell on the feet of sadhu. When listened the episode of king’s order from both of them that to bring a suit without a needle and thread. Sadhu made the suit as per king’s requirement by using his spiritual power which was presented by the tailor before king. When king saw the suit he astonished and enquired from the tailor that who had actually made that suit and the tailor narrated the whole story of a sadhu but with fear. The king ordered that let so called sadhu be brought in his court. The tailor called the sadhu in the raja’s palace and when raja goria saw The spiritual face of guru Gorakh Nath Ji he down on his knees and touched the sadhu’s feet and prayed to allow to go with him but guru Gorakh Nath Ji disallowed his request saying that a king cannot be a sadhu because he has to sacrifice each and every thing including wealth and property etc but the king told that he is ready to leave everything and he has fed up by this artificial life and want to become a disciple of yours. Finally guru Gorakh Nath Ji accepted him as disciple and here only the journey of Baba Sidh Goria Nath Ji commences.

4. lt is believed that Baba ji showers blessings on all the devotees who keep faith and confidence on this sacred place and every year an annual public mela is organized at sidh swankha and dangal also, which lasts for seven days in which devotees not only from J&K but also from Punjab, Haryana, UP and others parts of the country take part.

The history of the Baba Sidh Goria Shrine is not just an interesting story from our past. The Baba Sidh Goria Shrine is a real and present symbol that connects all religions together wherever they may be.