Men of God

THE CHILD BELOVED

It is said that there was something mysterious about the child. His attractive features had a marvellous effect upon all who beheld him. Many of the Hindus and Moslems of Patna, the learned and the ignorant, young and old, rich and poor were drawn to him by the bewitching radiance of his personality. Among his most well-known admirers were two Nawabs, Rahim Baksh and Karim Baksh, whose offerings, a village and a garden, belong to this day to the Gurdwara at Patna. Bikhian Shah, a Fakir well-known for his spiritual powers found his Lord in this child. Shivadat Pandit a holy man on the banks of the Ganges, was once roused from his deep concentration by a whisper in his ears from the child and saw in him the supreme object of his worship: from that moment Govind Rai became the Child Beloved of the Pandit his Sri Ram, his Sri Krishna. At the instance of the Pandit, Raja Fatechand Maini and his wife became devoted to the Child Beloved and were blessed with a divine love for the child. They converted their house into a dharmasala, a place of worship and charity and treasured the child’s gifts in a place of honour in the house-temple and when long after, Guru Govind was 23 years, they with the Pandit went to Anandpur to see their Child Beloved. While the Pandit closed his earthly life at Anandpur, the Raja and Rani returned to their home with the Guru’s gifts of the "Sacred Book” which they installed in the temple where they had long ago enthroned the arms and dress of the Child Beloved. The temple exists even to-day. The names of the Raja and Rani are kept alive by the sangat of Maine which they established in their house.