THE LEGEND OF BABA HARBHAJAN SINGH

Our Country is an ancient land with ancient legends. Tales of guardian shrines and  beliefs bordering the supernatural are  commonplace in India. Many of these legends are prevalent in mountains and in-hospitable locales, which more often than not have the brave soldiers of the Indian Army as their only residents. I had the good fortune of visiting one such shrine 3 years back- the shrine of Baba Harbhajan Singh- the unofficial guardian saint of the rugged land of Eastern Sikkim, which I visited last year. The legend of the Baba and his Shrine perched high up at the base of the famous Nathula Pass is one of simple faith and honest belief, which drives and motivates the men of the Indian Army guarding those dizzy heights. It is an amazing tale which I just could not resist sharing with the readers.

The tale begins on February 9, 1966 when Sepoy Harbhajan Singh got enrolled into the Punjab Regiment. Enlisted in the Army at an early age, the young soldier found himself posted on the misty heights of the Sino-Indian border near Nathula Pass. The year 1968 saw heavy rainfall and vicious floods in the region. On 4 October, 1968, while escorting a mule caravan from his battalion headquarters at Tukla to Deng Chukla, he fell into a fast- flowing stream and was washed away. The search for his body continued for a couple of days but was abandoned due to inclement weather.

Legend goes that a few days hence, Harbhajan Singh appeared in the dream of one of the Officers of his unit. In the dream, he informed his colleague that he was no longer alive and told him the exact spot where his body would be found. He asked him to construct a Samadhi at the spot where his body would be found. After saying that he would always patrol in the area and never give up being a soldier, he disappeared. The man woke up and dismissed the dream as a manifestation of his grief for Harbhajan Singh’s loss. It wasn’t until another member of the same unit had the same dream down to the last detail that suspicions were aroused. It seemed an incredible coincidence that two people could have dreamed the same sequence of events. When a search party was dispatched to the spot that had been described in the dream, late Sepoy Harbhajan Singh’s body was found. He was cremated with full military honours and a Samadhi was made at Chhokya Cho as per the wishes that he had expressed in his dream. The first part of the dream had been accurate and what about the second half about remaining a soldier forever? 

Soon reports of a man seen patrolling the area began filtering in. Soldiers deployed in the area would talk of a lone uniformed man on horse patrolling the region. Forces on the other side of the border confirmed these reports and claimed that they too had seen the ghost rider. Over the years, soldiers in the area began seeing Harbhajan Singh in their dreams where he instructed them of loopholes and unprotected areas from where the Chinese could attack. His instructions generally proved to be accurate and the legend of Baba Harbhajan Singh grew. 

Meanwhile, the popularity of the shrine was also growing. It gained significance as a religious spot and people came with the faith of having their problems solved or their infirmities cured by the Baba who had come back from the dead. The Samadhi dedicated to Harbhajan Singh consisted of a three room complex where a bed would be laid out for him and his uniform and boots would be displayed for the visitors. Caretakers of the Samadhi would swear that each morning the bed sheets would be crushed as if someone had slept in the bed the previous night and the carefully polished boots would be soiled and covered with mud.

Story also goes that the Baba was promoted posthumously and finally ‘retired’ a few years ago as a Honorary Captain. A pay check would be sent home to his mother in Kapurthala every month and more interestingly, he would go home on annual leave on September 14 every year. Soldiers would pack his trunk with basic essentials and ‘Capt Harbhajan’ would be accompanied by two soldiers all the way to Kapurthala by train and brought back after a month the same way. This tradition continued for many years until he ‘retired’.

The Samadhi dedicated to Harbhajan Baba is located amidst a beautiful panorama of high mountains broken in places by gushing waterfalls and dotted by multi-coloured shrubs. Taxi drivers and soldiers passing through the area generally stop at the Samadhi to pay obeisance to the revered Baba. Not doing so is supposed to bring bad luck. Devout believers from all over Sikkim and Bengal visit the Samadhi bringing the sick and the elderly in the hope of a miracle. They bring bottles of water and take back those lying there. It is believed that water left at the Samadhi over a period of time turns to holy water and is capable of curing ailments. In fact, I carried a few bottles back home including one for an ailing uncle.

In a society that is dictated by tradition and supported on the pillars of faith, it is not uncommon to find a legend of this kind. Perhaps the Chinese are just as devout as we are, because at the monthly flag meetings between the two nations at Nathula, even they set a chair aside for Harbhajan Baba!

As the red Chinese flag flaps in the icy winds next to the tricolour, a lone figure perhaps stands and watches- ever alert, ever watchful, ever zealous, and ever protective of his country’s honour. A zeal that has lasted beyond death!