NIDHAN SINGH, SANT

NIDHAN SINGH, SANT (1882-1947), holy man popularly known as Hazur Sahibvale, was born the son of Bhai  Uttam Singh of the village of Nidalori in Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab. He received religious instruction at the hands of Sant Divan Singh, popular in the area for his holiness. He left his home at the age of 20 and enlisted in the 5th Probyn`s Horse, a cavalry regiment of the Indian army, atJharisi. But he resigned within a year and set out on pilgrimage to Takhl Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, where he took up his permanent abode and found his calling in work in Guru ka Larigar. 

He began by fetching water from the bdou, storing it in large earthen pitchers and serving it to visiting pilgrims.He eventually raised a gurudwara to serve langar or meals to the pilgrims on which account the complex came to be known as Gurdwara Langar Sahib. To collect funds for the Langar, he went out on preaching tours, army units being his special constituency. As his popularity and his resources grew, Sant Nidhan Singh took up construction of other gurudwaras.

The best known among them is the one at Manmad where pilgrims from the north have usually to wait for long hours for changing trains to Nanded. It is known as Gurdwara Guptsar. Three of the other Gurdwaras built at his instance are Gurdwara Nanakpuri and Gurdwara Ratangarh, near Nanded, and Gurdwara Sahib at Bhusaval. At his initiative were raised Gurdwara Tatt Khalsa at Karachi and Gurdwara Sahib at Kahuta, both now outside of India. Sant Nidhan Singh died at Nanded on 4 August 1947.

References :

1. Patwant Singh, Gurdwaras in India and Around the World. Delhi, 1992
2. Sahi,Joginder Singh, Sikh Shrines in India and Abroad. Faridabad, 1978