Vadbhag Singh Sodhi

Vadbhag Singh Sodhi (1716 – 31 December 1761; his name is also spelt as Wadbhag Singh Sodhi, alternatively known as Sodhi Vadbhag Singh) was a direct descendant of Guru Hargobind and a prominent figure of the heretical Dhirmalia sect of Sikhism.

Early life
Baba Vadbhag Singh was born at Kartarpur in 1716 A.D. He was the son of Baba Ram Singh and Mata Raj Kaur. He was a descendant of Dhir Mal, the first cousin of Guru Gobind Singh. He succeeded to the hereditary gaddi (religious seat) of Sodhis of Kartarpur. He is a Sodhi Khatri.

Sodhi's Revenge
In March 1757, Afghans destroyed Kartarpur and set fire to a historical pillar known as Thambh Sahib. Many civilians were killed and Kartarpur was looted. Sodhi was the custodian of Kartarpur, but was not present during the incident.

He created an alliance with Adina Beg, the last Mughal governor of Punjab, at his request. The alliance was against the Afghan invaders and occupiers, and included Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.

In the Battle of Mahilpur (1757) Sodhi was one of the generals of the Sikh army which was aided by Adina Beg. A hard-fought battle occurred which the Sikhs and Adina Beg won despite Afghan use of light artillery.

After the battle the forces attacked Jalandhar and defeated resistance that was put up. Sodhi had Jalandhar destroyed and looted in revenge for what happened in Kartarpur. Sodhi dug up the body of Nasar Ali, the faujadar of Jalandhar, and had it dragged. Nasar Ali was involved in the Kartarpur episode. He also burned the corpse. He further defiled the tomb with pork. Muslim women were seized and were converted to Sikhi after which they could marry any Sikh they pleased.

Death
After the battle Sodhi lived Mairi for the remainder of his life. He died on 31 December 1761. A shrine now stands at this location.

Shrine
Dera Baba Badbhag Singh Gurudwara (Devanagari: डेरा बाबा बड़भाग सिंह) (Gurmukhi): ਡੇਰਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਬਡਭਾਗ ਸਿੰਘ is a shrine of Dera Baba Vadbhag Singh. It is located in Mairi village in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is known for Holi mela. Visitors come from North Indian states and union territories including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. The shrine is about 10 km from Amb. Nehrian, a small hilly village serves as an entry point to the Holy place. Followers believe visiting the dera (shrine) cure patients possessed by evil spirits or affected with other malign influences.He is worshipped by both sikhs and Hindus.

Hola Mohalla fair
The Hola Mohalla fair is held at Dera Vadbhag Singh on the full moon day in the Vikrami month of Phalgun (February–March). The fair lasts for ten days, i.e. a week before the full-moon and two days after. The fair is attended by those possessed people and their relatives or who seek protection against similar malign influences. Most of the women who attend the fair are possessed.

The dolis (afflicted persons) are seated in rows while metal platters and drums are beaten to charm the evil spirits. During the drumming, the dolis who continue tossing and swaying their heads about are made to inhale the smoke of burning incense. A number of methods are adopted to torture the evil spirits until they leave the body. At that stage the spirit is asked to proceed to the dhaulidhar (waterfall) to which it agrees. The spirit is then questioned whether it has arrived and sees Baba Vadbhag Singh with a cage. When the spirit replies in the affirmative, it is asked to enter the cage and to request Baba Ji to shut the cage. The dolis is then seen to have recovered. Every visitor who attends the fair pays obeisance at the shrine besides taking a holy bath at the dhaulidhar or charan ganga, especially on the full moon–day. The devotees take the dhaulidhar sacred water home. The most important ceremony at the shrine is the hoisting of the flag Nishan Sahib. It is done on the full moon day. The old Nishan Sahib is retired after recitation of supplication. The devotees try to obtain a piece of the old cloth or various other articles attached to the old flag, such as cowrie shells, betelnuts, or coins. Possession of these is regarded as a boon. A young pine tree that may be as tall as 80 ft., and whose trunk measures 5 ft in diameter is earmarked every third year to serve as a flagpole for the Nishan Sahib. Lacs of people attend the fair from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Himachal. The Sikhs of Doaba, Majha and Malwa tracts of Punjab especially are votaries of Vadbhag Singh and attend the fair in large numbers.

Nearby places

 * Chintpurni Temple
 * Kamakhya Devi, Poliyan
 * Sadashiv Mandir, Dhyunsar