Fateh Chand was a noted landlord of Patna. People knew him as a Raja, the king. His wife Maini was known as Rani. They had no children. They resorted to many amulets, incantations, worship and recitation but nothing bore fruit. Whenever Rani Maini saw Gobind Rai and his �child army� pass by her palace her yearning for a child increased.

One day, the Rani was immersed in deep thought on seeing the �child army�. A notion came to her mind that how nice it would be if Gobind Rai, the son of Mata (mother) Gujri may sit in her lap, call her mother and say, � I am feeling very humgry. Mother, Please give gram � curry and fried cake (chhole and poori) that you have prepared and kept inside, to me and my companions.� Getting these thoughts, she got up and began preparing curry and cake.

The Rani had heard from Sikhs that the Prince can read the mind. Having prepared curry and cake, the Rani sat outside to wait for the �child army�. In a short while, the leader of the �child army� came to the courtyard where the Rani was waiting. Enterning the courtyard the leader of the �child army� said, �Mother, bring the curry and cake that you have prepared. I and my companions are feeling very hungry.

The Rani took the thought reading master in her lap and fondled him with love. She gave curry and cake to the �child master� with her own hands and also to the rest of the �child army�. The Rani felt motherly bliss by feeding the Prince in her lap like her own son. To get affection of a son the Rani began to prepare curry and cake daily for the �child army�. Under pretext of serving meals the Rani began to get love of a son daily.

One day, the maid in sevice of the Rani appealed to the child master that the Rani did not have a child of her own. She may be blessed with a son like you. The child master replied., �Only I resemble myself. None other can be like me. So if the Rani considers me her son I shall become her son.� From that day, the affection and love of the Rani for Prince Gobind Rai increased.

After the departure of Prince Gobind Rai from Patna, the Rani constructed a gurdwara in her house where she served curry and cake to the children. In this way she felt the presence of the Prince and she got affection of a son. That gurdwara came to be known as �Maini Sangat� where the blessed food of curry and cake is still distributed to congregation to this day.

Maini Sangat, Gobind Rai, Incantations, Mata Gujri, Worship and Recitation, Child Army, Curry and Cake, Amulets, Maini Sangat, Chhole and poori, Prince Gobind Rai