Puran’s Well Visited

What happened to Puran (Pooran), an exceptionally great personality among extra ordinary human beings, constitutes five aspects of human behaviour, gentle plus vicious, that left messages for everybody till eternity:-

• Respect and reverence for mutual relationships among human beings.
• Absolute surrender to temptations on which control differentiates human from animal.
• Bankruptcy in courage to confession of seduction to crime.
• Total injustice to investigations before verdict and execution of declared punishment.
• Generosity in forgiveness to the culprit.

Between 200 to 300 years before Christ Raja Salvaan (Salbaan) ruled the territory and people of Sialkot, a state situated at foot of Kashmir, with its River Chenab and four perennial streams –– Aek, Deik, Palkhu and Basantar –– all of which keep flowing even today and also flushing down the rainy flood water to save the population. Passage of centuries has not detoured determinations of these to serve. Unpolluted upper parts of all of these streams have fish and some people take out water for drinking. Water of Aek is still considered to possess quality of cure for so many diseases. Bathing in it’s water cures a lot of skin diseases. It must be containing so many beneficial chemicals as its perennial source is a lot of natural springs. Climate of this state, continues to keep its relationship with the climate of Kashmir valley, situated in belly of Himalayas, world’s only mountain range renowned for its unsuccessful efforts to touch the skies.

Raja (King) Salavaan married Rani (Queen) Ichraan from a notably respectable family of village Roras, 13.5 km in North-West of Sialkot city and old Fort. Rani Ichraan gave birth to a male child who was named Puran. Related to noble blood from both sides, Puran grew to be a handsome young man loved and respected by the entire population of the state. People knew that the prince was going to be the ruler of the state after his father. In honour of Rani Ichraan and her parents Raja Salvaan constructed a track / road right from his residence at Fort up to village Roras. Initial 2 km of this road have been occupied by civil settlements under various colonial rules. At present it takes start from exactly opposite present Church of Church Road in Sialkot city. It crosses Ugoki Road at a distance of about 1 km from zero point of Church Road, present railway line at middle of villages, Miana Pura East and West, Defence Road at about 1 km north of Shahabpura Phatak and Wazirabad Road at location called Naol Mor. This very road to Roras crosses BRB and BRL canals o reach village Roras. About 90% of this BC era road exists intact. Village Roras also exists as such. People of Roras bear quite a tinge of before Christ era. After all they are related to great Raja Salvaan in relation to their daughter Ichraan.

After sometime, Raja thought about getting into a second marriage. A lady named Loona belonging to an ordinary family of a village close to Eastern border of the state was chosen as second wife and second queen of the state. As the months and the years passed, Raja got more and more close to Loona who must have managed for such closeness. News traveling from the BC era from person to person informs that Loona was jealous of queen Ichraan for her personal reasons. Her poor family background must have played a significant part in this jealousy.

Impressive personality, conduct and popularity of Puran led Loona over to seductive attitudes towards her step son. Instead of getting proud of the reputation of Puran, Rani Loona started feeling sexual temptations towards Puran. She treacherously planned and created a situation to be alone with Puran in her room. She got sexually aggressive towards the young man who immediately understood the movement of grave moments and swiftly escaped from the site of the trap. Puran could have approached his father to reveal the heinous plan of Loona but he did not think of that because he did not want to blot the honour of the sacred relationship. In the meantime Loona instead of being sorry and apologetic about her filthy temptations, approached Raja Salvaan with a concocted story about attack on her honour.

Loona had managed to carve her image so deep into heart of Raja Salvaan that he suffered from a prompt shock against his honour and without pondering about going through normal track of fact finding, he immediately ordered amputation of Puran’s hands and feet and throw him into some well away from the fort. The punishment was so furiously and sternly declared that the orders were followed forthwith.

Injured and sick of pain of wounds, Puran was drenched in water and nobody approached him form help and treatment. Perhaps there was nobody around to know all that for a reaction. It was after days that a religious leader of that era belief, known by the name of Guru Nath, on way to his destination, asked his accompanying followers for bringing water from some nearby well. In effort to draw water from the well they saw wounded Puran and readily pulled him out and carried him over to their Guru. Guru started treatment of Puran at sight and continued the process till his recovery. It must have taken weeks and months. So courteous and humanitarian was the honourable Guru that he postponed all of his programs for helping the person who had suffered from extreme cruelty at the hands of his real father. When completely recovered, Guru invited him to join his school for spiritual education and told him that for the learning he will have to accompany them to his school situated at a distance of about 120 km away towards north-west. Puran agreed and accompanied them to the school sight. He completed his education and training according to the desire of his Guru. At the end of training Guru told him that according to his plan, he will have to settle at the site of the well in which he had been thrown and that he will help and advise the people about their problems, guide them and provide them with relief and satisfaction.

Puran was shifted over to the sight where he started his mission forthwith. People started coming to him for advice and relief and they started really getting benefited. Puran became renowned far and wide. By then he was called Puran Bhaghat. Baghat means spiritually advance person with foresight and exceptional intuition.

Raja Salvaan and Loona were still childless. When they heard the reputation and miracles of Puran, they planned to approach him for help. When they met him, they did not recognise him. They put their problem before him and implored him to bless them with a child. Puran addressed Loona and asked her to confess her prime sin in life. In presence of Raja, Puran and other visitors, Loona narrated the story of her sin and surrendered to absolute confession. At this stage Puran spoke out. He told Raja that he was his son against whom unjustified punishment had been declared by him. With wide open eyes Raja was extremely shocked to know all that. When he came out of the shock he apologised and asked Puran for going back to fort. Puran refused the offer but he told them that they will be blessed with a son to be named Rasalu. Later the prophecy became true and Rasalu was born to Loona.

History and humanism emphatically demand that the site of such a great human being with supreme quality of respect of human relations and spirit of forgiveness to the woman who had turned whole of his life into agony and torture of physical disability without any fault on his part, should be given a structure suiting his grand status. The place is situated in Pakistan but the concerned human community can make an effort for the needful to be done. The site known as Puran da Khoo (Puran’s well) is in an extremely neglected condition. It is factually a common site for believers of all religions as it belongs to BC era. It is a token of exceptional human dignity and greatness. Puran’s well keeps supplying water to the needy. Some people drink it whereas others bathe with it to be blessed with children. Supernatural incidents do continue to happen. Continued visit of people from far off places indicates that they are benefited.

To visit the site of Puran’s well, taken Kashmir Road by the side of present bus stand, and reach exactly opposite Ganta Ghar (clock tower) in cantt area. From this part you have to cover a total distance of 7.5 kilometres. Moving ahead, take Chaprar Road which starts from the cantt area. Keep moving on Chaprar Road and go ahead of sign board of village Kamanwala, after a few minutes by an auto, you will reach Gulbahar Adda, a prominent road crossing of village Jhai. Turn left from Gulbahar Adda and you will be left with only 2 km to go. You will reach village Krol. At end of houses of this village you will see a conical top of a very small temple which did not exist at the time of Puran’s return from training school. This temple had been built within the compound wall of the well at a much later period, probably a few hundred years before from now. It is rather recent. It has nothing to do with Puran’s real belief. The small temple has been built just south of the well. As for the compound of the well, there are rooms and baths for the visitors. In open space east of the well, various trees grow some of which are quite aged. It is somewhat surprising that a Muslim grave has been built inside the compound wall. This is a sign of violation and capturing the rear historical site. The grave denotes that there is nobody to care against intrusions. If not stopped, the well’s premises might turn into graveyard, completely demolishing the importance of real site. It may be especially mentioned that there is a natural mound consisting of tens of acres of land atop it. Deads can be buried there because mostly such mounds are government property.

Major portion of this article is based on information transmitted from generation to generation. According to some sources it is an incidence of 200 years after Christ, but the writer rejects it because on the eve of invasion of Sikandar, Puran had already suffered from injustice and cruelty.

Tags: puran bhaghat, puran well, sialkot, sialkot fort

Category: History, Travel