Gurdwara Moti Bagh is situated on the Ring Road near Dhaula Kuan. The entire area that includes government residential and other buildings is now called Moti Bagh. Guru Gobind Singh stayed here from April to August, 1707. It is said that the Guru was on his way to the Deccan to meet Emperor Aurangzeb when he learnt about his death at Bhaghaur in Rajasthan. This made the Guru change course and head for Delhi.
Aurangzeb had three sons—Muazzam (64), Azam (54) and Kambaksh (40). At the time of the emperor’s death, his two younger sons were with him. Muazzam, viceroy of the north-western provinces, including Afghanistan and Baluchistan, was busy fighting tribesmen. On hearing the news of the death of his father, Muazzam immediately rushed to Delhi. Meanwhile, Azam had taken command of the imperial army and declared himself emperor.
Muazzam, on reaching Lahore, also declared himself the successor and assumed the title of Bahadur Shah. He also sent a special envoy to Guru Gobind Singh, requesting his military, moral and political support to oust Azam and gain control of the empire.
Guru Gobind Singh and Muazzam reached Delhi about the same time in mid-April, 1707. The Guru set up camp at a place, where now stands Gurdwara Moti Bagh. The area used by the Guru and his men was a garden belonging to a Baniya by the name of Moti. He was a big trader in leather and his activities extended up to Afghanistan. He had established a tannery as well as a colony of cobblers. The area at that time was known as Mochi Bagh.
After setting up camp in Mochi Bagh, the Guru shot an arrow that reached Bahadur Shah, who was staying in the Red Fort. Nobody could comprehend how and from where the arrow had come and thought it was a miracle. Shortly, thereafter, the Guru shot another arrow, which carried a small message, saying that it was not a miracle but only displayed Guru’s skill in archery.
The battle between Bahadur Shah and Azam took place at Jajuan, 12 miles from Agra on June 10, 1707. The Guru sent one regiment under the command of Kuldeep Singh to take part in the battle. He himself camped a little distance away. A fierce battle took place and when it reached a critical point, the Guru, mounted on a horse, charged towards the battlefield. Azam was killed by an arrow in the battle. When the arrow was pulled out, it had a golden tip — the mark of the Guru’s arrow. The wounded prince is believed to have said: “It is not Muazzam who fought against me, God has abandoned me and fortune has turned against me.” Commandant Kuldeep Singh was presented a robe of honour as also other gifts worth Rs 60 lakh. While the emperor went to Agra, the Guru came back to Delhi and stayed there for a few months.
The gurdwara is in the usual marble and abuts on the Ring Road lengthwise. This somewhat takes away the beauty of the structure. Had the same building been a little away from the road and had a proper approach, the overall ambience and impression would have been far better. The gurdwara with a square base and has openings on all four sides. It is probably the only Sikh shrine which has porticos on each of the entrances. The gurdwara, with four receding storeys, presents a beautiful interplay of domes and arches. Each storey has small domes on the corners. The large dome on the fourth storey is again surrounded by four domes. The domes have an inverted lotus on the top. The domes, arches, columns and cupolas present a rhythmic effect. At a slightly lower level, in front of the gurdwara, is another large courtyard. At the actual place where the Guru stayed, now stands a building in marble. It is on the left side of the gurdwara.
There are a few other buildings in the compound that are used for langar activities and for carrying out management work. These rather shabby buildings take away the beauty of the place.
The gurdwara has a beautiful entrance gate, which unfortunately remains closed most of the time as people prefer to enter from the underground parking side. It is a pity that such a beautiful structure lacks a proper approach.