Kavi Darbar - Court of 52 Poets

Dadi: "Guddu beta, do you know that 300 years ago, one of history's greatest libraries was almost lost in a river?"

Guddu: "A library in a river? How does that happen?"

Dadi: "First, let me tell you about the library's creator - Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. He wasn't just a warrior, beta. He was a poet, a scholar, and a patron of arts like no other!"

Guddu: "I thought Gurus just prayed and taught religion."

Dadi: "Guru Gobind Singh did those things too, but he also believed that a strong mind needs strong words. So he created something magnificent - the Kavi Darbar, the Court of Poets!"

Guddu: "A court just for poets?"

Dadi: "Fifty-two of them! Can you imagine? Fifty-two brilliant poets, all gathered together, writing and reciting in one place. Some came from Banaras, some from the Mughal court, some from across India."

Guddu: "Why would poets from the Mughal court come to a Sikh Guru?"

Dadi: "Great question, beta! This was during Emperor Aurangzeb's time. The emperor was forcing people to convert to Islam. Many poets and scholars who refused had to flee for their lives. Guru Gobind Singh's court became their safe haven."

Guddu: "So the Guru was protecting them?"

Dadi: "Yes! And in return, they created incredible works together. The Guru himself spoke five languages - Punjabi, Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and Braj Bhasha. His court translated ancient classics into languages common people could understand."

Guddu: "What kind of books did they make?"

Dadi: "They translated the Mahabharata, the Upanishads, the Panchatantra - all the great wisdom texts! They wrote poetry about courage, about faith, about fighting for what's right. One of their greatest creations was called the Vidiya Sagar Granth - the Ocean of Knowledge."

Guddu: "Ocean of Knowledge? That sounds huge!"

Dadi: "It was literally huge, beta! The manuscript weighed over 250 kilograms - that's heavier than three grown men put together!"

Guddu: "How did they even carry it?"

Dadi: "That's where the tragedy comes. In 1704, the Guru's fort at Anandpur Sahib was under siege. They had to evacuate in the middle of the night, crossing the river Sirsa during a flood."

Guddu: "With a 250 kg book?"

Dadi: "They tried. But the current was too strong. The manuscript was lost - years of work by fifty-two poets, translated classics, original poetry, all swallowed by the dark waters."

Guddu: "That's so sad, Dadi!"

Dadi: "It is. But you know what? Not everything was lost. Fragments survived in private collections. And the most important things - the ideas, the traditions, the love of learning - those lived on."

Guddu: "Did the poets continue writing?"

Dadi: "The greatest ones did! Bhai Nand Lal, the Poet Laureate, kept writing in Persian. Others wrote histories of the Guru's battles. The work was never truly finished."

Guddu: "Dadi, why did the Guru care so much about poetry?"

Dadi: "Because, beta, words are weapons. The Guru believed that to win a battle, you need strong bodies. But to win hearts, you need strong words. His poets didn't just write - they preserved knowledge, created beauty, and inspired courage."

Guddu: "Did they have a special place for all this writing?"

Dadi: "Two places - Anandpur Sahib and Paonta Sahib. At Paonta Sahib, on full moon nights, the Guru would hold poetry gatherings by the river Yamuna. Poets would recite in different languages while the moonlight sparkled on the water."

Guddu: "That sounds magical!"

Dadi: "There's a legend that the Yamuna River used to be very loud near the Gurdwara, and poets complained they couldn't hear each other. So with the Guru's blessing, the river became quiet at that spot!"

Guddu: "The river listened to the Guru?"

Dadi: "Nature often respects those who respect knowledge, beta. The Kavi Darbar teaches us that warriors need wisdom, that culture needs protecting, and that sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword."

Guddu: "I want to be a warrior-poet when I grow up!"

Dadi: "Then read well, write well, and fight only for what's right. That's the Guru's legacy. Now sleep, my little poet!"