Sikh Legend
After preaching at all these places, both of them reached Manikaran in 1574. Bhai Mardana felt hungry but they has no food. Guru Nanj ji sent him to collect food for preparing langar (community kitchen). Some people donated pulses while the other donated flour for making rotis (Indian bread). Though now they had raw material but there for no fire to cook it.
Guru Nanak asked Bhai Mardana to lift the stone from the place where he is sitting. Mardana did as was told. As the stone was lifted, a hot spring spurted out. Guru Nank ji asked him to tie the pulses in a cloth and throw it in the spring. Then he asked him to roll out chappatis and put it into the spring. Mardana followed his Gurus guidelines but he became sad when all the food sank. Guru Nanak asked Mardana to pray from God that if the chappatis would float back, he will be donating them. He prayed and magically the rotis came up, completely baked.
Guru Nank Dev Ji declared that anyone who will prepare food for donating in the name of God, his lost and gone items will come back to him. Even today, the hot springs are present and food is prepared in these hot springs. Round the clock, free langar sewa at Manikarana goes on.
This visit Of Guru Nanak Dev ji was predicted by Maharishi Ved Vyas in verse 33 to 44 on page 28, of Bhavishya Puran. The Gurudwara was also visited by Guru Gobind Singh Ji with his Panj Pyaras. Devotees, today, can take a dip in the separate hot springs for bathing. It is said that these waters have medicinal properties.
According to a legend, when Lord Shiva and his better half Parvati were walking in the valley, Parvati dropped one of her earrings. The jewel was seized by Shesha-Nag, the serpent deity, who then disappeared into the earth with it. Shesha-Nag only surrendered the jewel when Shiva performed the cosmic dance, the “Tandava” and shot the jewel up through the water. Apparently, it is said that jewels continued to be thrown up in the waters at Manikaran until the earthquake of 1905.
