Sekha is a large village in Barnala district,

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, India. It is located 7 km to the east of

Barnala Barnala is a city in the Indian state of Punjab. Barnala city serves as the headquarters of the Barnala district which was formed in 2006. Prior to the formation of Barnala district, the city was located in Sangrur district. It is a centrally ...

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth ...

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubar ...

railway line and

Dhuri Dhuri is a town in Sangrur District in the state of Punjab, India. The neighbouring towns of Dhuri are Sangrur, Malerkotla, Nabha, and Barnala. Demographics As of 2011 Indian Census, Dhuri had a total population of 55,225 of which 29,231 w ...

road. It is a medium-sized village with a population of around 10,000. All the basic amenities are present at a commutable distance.

History

Sekha used to be a cluster of 22 villages called 'Bahia' (in

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

meaning composed of twenty-two entities). The people living here were of

Sidhu Sidhu is a Punjabi Jat clan found in Punjab. The Sidhus have had a significant impact on Sikh history. Etymology and origin During British Raj, historians like HA.Rose and Alexander Cunningham note an account of local bards (bhatts) hi ...

clan. Once Guru Teg Bahadur ji, the ninth

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

Guru, arrived in the 'Bahia' during his Malwa Visit. But the ruler of 'Bahia' refused to give the Guru a piece of land to live on for few days. The ruler asked the Guru to leave the place. Guru Teg Bahadur got angry and cursed the 'Bahia' by saying "Bahia Hoju Thehia"(

: ਬਾਹੀਆ ਹੋਜੂ ਥੇਹਿਆ) meaning- "Bahia will collapse into a heap" Due to his curse the whole of Bahia turned into a heap of debris. This The (Punjabi: ਥੇਹ) still exists to the west of the main village and the place where Guru Teg Bahadur ji meditated has been turned into a beautiful

Gurudwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurd ...

named 'Gurudwara Patshahi Naumi, Sekha'. Every year on 22 Poh(

Punjabi Calendar The Punjabi calendar ( Punjabi: , ) is a luni-solar calendar used by the Punjabi people in Punjab, Hindkowan People in Hazara and around the world, but varies by religions. Muslims in these regions used it for agricultural purpose as it corresp ...

) i.e. in early January a three-day fair is held in the village in remembrance of the Coming of Guru Teg Bahadur ji to the village. Later on, a new village to the west of Bahia was built which is now known as Sekha.

Religious places

There are many religious places in the village. Gurudwara Patshahi Naumi (Gurudwara of the ninth Guru) towards the west of the village on

road. This is the place where the ninth Guru meditated during his visit to the village. There is another Gurudwara near the village railway station. Near the Grain Market, there is a famous Tilla of Baba Tehaldas. It is a multi-religious place with a Temple, Gurudwara et al. in it. In the heart of the village, there is a Memorial Gurudwara of Bhai Moola Singh. There are numerous other religious places in the village.

Transport

•Road : There are well maintained roads in the village and people have an option to use the regular bus service which plies between Barnala and the neighbouring town of Dhuri(Sangrur) since the village lies on the Barnala-Dhuri road. Other than this, taxis are readily available as well at the local taxi stand located near the market towards the western end of the village. •Rail : Sekha railway station lies roughly towards the north of the village and is also in very close proximity to the neighbouring villages of Harbanspura and Jhaloor. The station lies on the Bathinda-Patiala railway line. Barnala Villages in Barnala district {{PunjabIN-geo-stub