There was a holy Fakir in the Ghuran village of Punjab. He had legions of followers and disciples. His name was Bheekham Shah. Some people believe that he infact lived in Syana village of Kaithal district.
One day he was seen offering namaz facing in westerly direction. The fanatic clerics strongly objected to his act because a devout Muslim of eastern lands should have been offering prayers facing west in which direction the holy Qaba lay. For them the Fakir’s act was unislamic. But Fakir Bheekham Shah revealed that Power Supreme had given him insight to vision the birth of a child in easterly direction who represented his divine light. He claimed that he was offering prayers to that divine light.
Bheekham Shah declared that he would be going east to have a look at that child who represented the divine light. He knew the location where he had to go. His destination was Guru Teg Bahadur’s haveli in Patna. Many of his disciples also readied to accompany him.
Many weeks of travel took the party to the haveli of Guru Teg Bahadur at Patna. From the door Fakir Bheekham Shah called out to the inmates, “We have come from far off place to have a look at the holy child, Bala Pritam.”
A woman came to the door and saw the strange looking mob. She thought it was weird. She went in and told Gujri about the visitors. The women folk were scared. Kripalchand went to the door and asked who they were. “I am Fakir Bheekham Shah and with me are my disciples. A divine inspiration revealed to me that holy soul has taken birth in the child you call Bala Pritam,” the principal visitor said.
Kripalchand had heard about the holy Fakir. He took the Fakir and his followers respectfully in. The visitors were offered sherbet. Then Kripalchand brought Gujri out from the inner sanctum. She had Bala Pritam in her arms.
The visitors paid obeisance to the child who they believed was the physical form of the divine light. At the request of the Fakir, Gujri put down her child infront of the holy visitor.
Bheekham Shah produced from his bag two bowls containing some sweets and placed them before Bala Pritam. “Divine sir, which bowl belongs to you?”
Bala Pritam looked at the bowls, smiled and then put one hand each on both the bowls.
It sent Bheekham Shah into devotional ecstasy. He again paid his obeisance to the child and kissed his small hands again and again. The sweets were then distributed amongst the people present by him.
Fakir’s disciples failed to understand the meaning of that exercise. One of them asked, “Holy Baba! Please tell us what is the significance of all this?”
Bheekham Shah revealed, “When I saw the embodiment of the light of Allah I wondered who this messiah will side with, Hindus or Muslims? So, I put sweets in the two bowls, one representing Hindus and the other Muslims. I wished to see which one the holy child would choose. By putting his hands on both the bowls he made it clear that he would treat both the communities without any discrimination.”
So, the child, Bala Pritam alias Gobindrai was accepted in the very beginning by both the prominent communities as the chosen one. He was revered by the Hindus and the Muslims alike and the both became part of Guru’s later day campaigns.
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