BANNO, BHAI

BANNO, BHAI (1558-1645), a prominent Sikh contemporary of Guru Arjan and Guru Hargobind, was the son of Bhai Bishan Dev of village Mangat, also called KharaMangat, Khara being its older name, in Phalia tahsil of Gujrat district (now in Pakistan). He was born on Saturday, Baisakh sudi 13,1615 Bk/ 30 April 1558. Banno grew up with a deeply religious disposition. He turned a Sikh and rendered diligent service during the construction of Harimandar at Amritsar under Guru Arjan. On the completion of the compilation of (Guru) Granth Sahib in 1604, Guru Arjan deputed Bhai Banno to carry the holy volume to Lahore for binding.

The latter, with the Guru`s permission first carried it to his village and then brought it back to Lahore. During his journey to and from his village he prepared his own copy of the Holy Book. He got both the copies bound and brought them to the Guru, who installed the original copy (Adi Bir) in the Harimandar and returned the other copy to Bhai Banno. This recension came to be known as Bhai Banno Vali Bir or Khare Vali Bir, because the Bhai had installed it in his own house at KharaMangat. See SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB. Bhai Banno continued to preach Sikh tenets in the northwestern parts of the Punjab till his death in Magh 1701 Bk/January 1645.

References :

1. Bhalla, Sarup Das, Mahima Prakash. Patiala, 1971
2. Bal, Rajinder Singh, Bhai Banno Darpan.Jalandhar, 1989
3. Bhai Banno Sahib. Kanpur, n.d.
4. Gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi. Patiala, 1970