CHAR SAHIBZADE, (char = four + sahibzade = scions, young men of genteel birth) is a term endearingly used for the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Nanak X, all of whom died as martyrs while still very young. Their names are reverently preserved in Sikh memory and are recalled every time Sikh ardas or prayer of supplication is recited at a congregation or privately by an individual. See AJIT SINGH. SAHIBZADA; FATEH SINGH, SAHIBZADA; JUJHAR SINGH, SAHIBZADA; and ZORAWAR SINGH, SAHIBZADA
DAKKHANI SIKHS or Sikhs of the Deccan, a distinctive ethnic community scattered in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, are the descendants of Punjabi Sikhs who went to the South during the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries and permanently settled in what was then the princely state of Hyderabad. The first Punjabi Sikhs to travel to the South comprised the 300strong contingent which arrived at Nanded in 1708 in the train of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708).
DIVALI, festival of lights (from Sanskrit dipamala or dipavali meaning row of lamps or nocturnal illumination), is observed all over India on amavasya, the last day of the dark half of the lunar month of Kartika (October-November). Like other seasonal festivals, Divali has been celebrated since time immemorial. In its earliest form, it was regarded as a means to ward off, expel or appease the malignant spirits of darkness and ill luck. The festival is usually linked with the return to Ayodhya of Lord Rama at the end of his fourteen year exile. For the Hindus it is also an occasion for the worship of Laksmi, the goddess of good fortune, beauty and wealth.
Discover the story of Prasadi, a gifted elephant for Guru Gobind Singh, showcasing loyalty and bravery amid the siege of Anandpur.
Uncover the rich history of Rajput-Sikh relations from Guru Nanak's visits to alliances in battle, shaping the cultural legacy of Rajasthan.
