7. Go to Shri Amritsar Sahib ji

Soon after His investiture, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji decided to visit Amritsar along with His followers. Amritsar for the Sikhs is what Vatican or Jerusalem is for the Christians, or Mecca for the Muslims. Moreover, Amritsar was also the birthplace and the ancestral Home of the Great Guru. On reaching Amritsar the Guru's party went straight to the Golden Temple. A Temple whose construction was started by Guru Tegh Bahadur ji's great-grandfather, Guru Ramdas ji, and which was completed by his grandfather, Guru Arjan Dev ji. Opposite this was the Akal Takhat where His great Father, Guru Hargobind ji used to sit majestically on a dias with His two swords of "Miri" and "Piri" glittering on either side of Him. On reaching the precincts of the Golden Temple, the party found that the doors were suddenly shut and they were refused admittance. The reason was that the greedy "masands" (bishops) of Amritsar had acknowledged Guru Arjan Dev ji's elder brother Prithi Chand to be their guru. It was under the instructions of Harji, the impostor (Mina) guru of that time, that the doors of the Golden Temple were closed to Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. The Guru waited nearby for a little while. This place is now known as "Tham Sahib" - the Pillar of Patience. But when the doors were not opened, Guru ji went away and stayed in a nearby village of Wala in the humble dwelling of a peasant couple. Later, the women of Amritsar came out and repented for the shameful behaviour of the masands of Amritsar. Highly pleased at the sincere devotion and courage of the women of Amritsar, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji said, "Ever blessed by God be the women of Amritsar."