BUDH SINGH, BAWA

BUDH SINGH, BAWA Budh Singh, Bawa (1878 – 1931) was a de-scendent of the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das. He was the son of Bawa Lehna Singh. He studied the elementary Persian in a mosque and then joined Mission School and passed his Matriculation Examination. During his school days, he used to visit the hermitage of Baba Khuda Singh and study Punjabi books. After, his Matriculation, he joined F.C. College, Lahore where the noted mystic Swami Ram Tirath made a great impact on him.

Then he joined Engineering College, Roorki, where he studied for three years. He worked at Lyallpur, Sargodha, Mianwali, Rohtak, Hisar, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Sheikhupura and Multan. He rose to the rank of Superintending Engineer at Lahore. He died in a car accident. His compositions exhibit him as a multisided writer in the domain of literature. He was a poet, novelist, dramatist, translator,critic and researcher.

His poems, preserved in his collection entitled Pritam Chhoh, are mainly mystic in character. His novel Daler Kaur follows the style of Bhai Vir Singh. His plays include Chandar Hari Natak, Mundari Chhal Natak, Damani Natak and Nar Naveli. He combines the old Indian and western styles in his plays. In Nar Naveli he has presented a contrast between eastern and western culture.

He translated three \’Sataks\’ in Punjabi verse, viz., Niti Satak, Vairag Satak and Shingar Satak. He did a pioneering work in preserving the old Punjabi poetry, as was done by Maulana Hali and Muhammad Husain Azad in the field of Urdu literature. His works entitled Hans Chog (1913), Khoikoo (1916), Bambiha Bol (1925), Prem Kahani (in Persian Script) and Raja Rasalu reveal him as a talented critic and a fine researcher.

References :

1. Mohan Singh, A History of Punjabi Literature, Amritsar, 1956.
2. Piara Singh Padam, Kalam de Dhanni, Part II.
3. Ramdev, Jaginder Singh (ed.), Punjabi Likhari Kosh, Jullundur, 1964.
4. Sekhon, S.S. and K.S. Duggal, A History of Punjabi Literature, Delhi, 1992.