Dhoban and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji

Assam state had remained a great headache for the Mughals. Each Mughal Emperor had tried to conquer it but failed. 

In 1658 A.D. Rajas of Cooch Bihar and Assam seized the Mughal district Kamrup. Then Aurangzeb deputed Mir Jumla to fight against the Rajas of Cooch Bihar and Assam. He fought very bravely and captured the capitals of both Rajas. But he could not rule the area for long time. Ahoms the ruling dynasty of Assam again captured their capitals defeating the Mughals.

When Mir Jumla died, Shayista Khan was appointed as the Governor of Assam. He again captured the all out posts. But the Ahom King Chakardhawaj again recovered all his lost territories. He refused to become a subject of Aurangzeb. Then Aurangzeb appointed Raja Ram Singh son of Mirza Jai Singh as the commander of the Mughal and Rajput forces and asked him to attack Raja Chakardhawaj. But during that time Assamees also captured Gauhati. Raja Ram Singh marched towards Assam leading a strong army. But Kamrup Desh was considered as the centre of witchcraft. In order to ward off from the evil effects of witchcraft he wanted the help of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. So he first went to Patna. Reaching there he met Mata Nanaki Ji and Mata Gujri Ji. When he was told that the Guru had gone to Bengal, Ram Singh proceeded towards Dhaka.

Reaching Dhaka Raja Ram Singh met Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and paid him homage with great respect. Then they discussed the political condition of the country. Raja Ram Singh requested the Guru for the help. He told him that his army was afraid of the magic and witchcraft of Kamrup. Then the Guru took leave of the devotees and along with his followers rode towards Dhubari.

Reaching at Dhubari Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji camped at the shrine of Guru Nanak Ji. When Raja Chakardhawaj heard that a large Mughal army had been marching towards Assam in order to attack him, he made elaborate military preparations to meet the army. He also pressed into service many magicians and witches, who were expert in their arts in order to scare the enemy.

There also lived a woman named as Dhoban. She possessed miracle powers. The real name of this Witch was Neta. She belonged to Goalpura. She was expert in miracle making. When the King called him for help then' she vowed that she would perish the army of the Mughal with miracle powers, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji sat at a higher place at the bank of river Brahmputra. He asked Raja Singh and his army to stand behind him. But some Mughals considering themselves very wise camped in the low areas. They were thinking that they would be saved from arrows and bullets of the army of Raja Chakardhawj.
At night Dhoban using her witchcraft flooded the water of river Brahamputra and the Mughals camping in the low areas were washed away with their belongings. But when she found that the Guru and the army of Ram Singh remained unaffected, she hurled a twenty six feet long stone, the stone came flying across the river like a missile and struck ground near Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. It struck the ground so hard that nearly half of it penetrated into the ground and about thirteen feet remained standing out of the ground. Even to-day this stone is standing there in the same position.

When Dhoban witchcraft found that the large stone had done no damage to Guru Ji and his associates, then she pulled a big tree along with its roots and hurled it towards Guru Ji. The tree also fell near Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and was dug into the ground along with its roots and remained alive and green. That tree of is still standing there.

 When the Raja Chakardhawaj saw that Dhoban witchcraft had done no damage to Guru Ji and the army then he sent Dhoban to meet Guru Ji. Dhoban came and fell at the feet of Guru Ji. She requested the Guru that two Rajas should reconcile with each other. The Guru accepted her request and asked her to send Raja Chakardhawaj to meet him. When Raja Chakardhawaj came, the Guru held separate meetings with them and impressed upon them to reconcile. Guru Ji reconciled Both Rajas and both celebrated the peace between them. 

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji asked the soldiers to bring red clay in order to raise a high mould of earth. Soldiers of both sides agreed to bring five shields full of earth and they raised a very high mould. This high platform could be seen from a distance of fifteen miles. Later on Raja built a shrine on that raised platform. This platform is known as Gurdwara Thara Sahib or Damdama Sahib.