Oct 24, 2011-NANKANA SAHIB, PAKISTAN: A Muslim family that donated 19000 acres of land to Guru Nanak before becoming his first disciple outside the Guru's family is prepared to dedicate a two-and-a-half year old 20th generation member to Guru Nanak.
32-year-old high court lawyer Saleem Bhatti, the 19th generation descendent of Rai Bhular Bhatti, said, "I am ready to dedicate my son Rai Waheed Bhatti to Babaji".
Saleem Bhatti made the declaration to The Times of India in the presence of his father Mohmmed Akram Bhatti whose ancestors had been followers since childhood of Guru Nanak born in 1469.
For local Muslims, Guru Nanak transcends religious identity as the evening prayer has dominance of Muslims; Pakistani Hindus are followers of the Guru in majority apart from the 25000-strong Sikh community. Muslims consider Guru Nanak as a Sufi (mystic) saint.
Narrating a miracle in his life, Saleem Bhatti said US-based separatist Khalistani leader Ganga Singh Dhillon sought blessings of 'Babaji' but sevadars told him if he wanted to specifically pray for a child, his wife will have to carry a child below two years in her arms.
"Caught in this awkward situation, Dhillon approached my father Mohmmed Akram Bhatti who agreed to hand me over to the issueless couple for the purpose of prayers and they were really blessed with a child," Saleem Bhatti said.
Bhatti said, "Despite being a Muslim, I spiritually connect with Babaji whose blessings on the family have been for more than five hundred years." Young Bhatti said occasionally he also followed Muslim practices.
Bhattis, who were Bhati Rajputs, migrated from Bikaner in Rajasthan after Alauddin Khilji was routed by the Mughals. Bhattis were loyal to Khilji. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Bhattis had the same forefathers 12 generations back, Saleem said.
The Bhatti family has been at the forefront comforting Sikhs in Pakistan for generations.
Even the troubled times in Punjab did not deter them from entertaining Sikhs.
Saleem Bhatti said the land donated to the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara is not fetching enough money to add to the income of the gurudwara. The gurudwara land supports around one lakh people but they pay only Rs 1000 per acre. Bhatti suggested there is a need to drastically increase the lease amount to shore up the income of the shrine but Muslim families dependent on the gurudwara land have expressing incapability to increase the lease amount.
The Bhatti family has valuable prized possessions of Guru Nanak whom Rai Bhular Bhatti, the landlord of the area accepted as his spiritual guru. Guru Nanak's father Kalu Mehta was accountant of Rai Bhular Bhatti. Bhatti accepted Guru Nanak as his guru when he saw that when Guru Nanak as a child was sleeping in the fields a snake saved him from the scorching sun with his hood offering Guru Nanak shade. Another incident was when villagers urged Bhatti to compensate them for the loss caused by the cattle allowed to graze in their fields by Guru Nanak but when a team went to verify claims of villagers, no loss was found to the crops.
Rai Bhular declared child Nanak was not a common mortal but a divine presence.