An outline of Sikh architectureby S.S. BhattiSo little has been written about Sikh architecture that it is difficult for anyone to believe that such a style of architecture exists at all. It is ironic that whereas the Sikhs are known the world over for their characteristic vigor, valor, versatility, above

MUKANDA, BHAI, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. Once he, accompanied by Bhai Mula Beri and Bhai Tirath and Bhai Nihalu, a goldsmith, waited upon Guru Arjan. They asked a question : "0 True King, how is it that while exposition of the Sabda, or sacred

MANGA, BHAI, a musician by profession was among Guru Nanak`s leading disciples. He has been described by Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 13, as a lover of gurbani or the Guru`s word.

RAM SINGH (d. 1716), a Bal Jatt of the village of Mirpur Patti in Amritsar district of the Punjab, was the younger brother of Baj Singh, who was appointed governor of the town of Sirhind after it was occupied by Banda Singh Bahadur in May 1710. Ram

RAM SINGH (1639-1714), Ram Chand before receiving the Sikh rites, was an ancestor of the ruling house of Patiala. The second son of Chaudhari Phul, he was married to Sahbi, daughter of one Nanu Bhullar, who gave birth to six sons Dunna, Sahba, Ala Singh, Bakhta,

AKAL BUNGA, lit. the abode of the Timeless One, is the building that houses the Akal Takht in the precincts of the Darbar Sahib at Amritsar. The term is also used sometimes synonymously with Akal Takht. Strictly speaking, while Akal Takht is the institution possessing and exercising

SAROVAR, a tank, pool or lake, especially at a sacred place or by a holy shrine used for sacramental ablutions and other religious ceremonies. Sanskrit synonyms are sar, sarvar, tarag and vapl. Another word is puskar or puskarini which usually means a pond full of lotus

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

EMINABAD (32°2`N, 74°16`E), an ancient town in Gujranwala district of Pakistan, is sacred to Guru Nanak (1469-1539) in whose day it was called Sayyidpur. According to Bhai Bala Janam Sakhi, after leaving Sultanpur and before setting out on his long travels, Guru Nanak, accompanied by Bhai Mardana, first visited

GIANI SAMPRADAI is one of three major schools of Sikhs theologians and expositors of the Sikh scripture, the other two being the Udasis and the Nirmalas. Giani, the Punjabi form of Sanskrit jndni from the rootjnd (to know), originally meant a scholar of high learning. In Sikh tradition, a gidmis

GURMAT GRANTH PRACHARAK SABHA, an association aiming at propagating Sikh religion through publications, was established at Amritsar on 8 April 1885 by Giani Sardul Singh to continue the work started by his father, Giani Gian Singh (d. 30 March 1884), the first secretary of Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Amritsar, established

HAKTMPUR, a village 9 km southeast of Banga (31"11`N, 76"E) in Jalandhar, district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine called Gurdwara Nanaksar, sacred to Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who, according to local tradition, once halted here travelling from Kartarpur (Ravi). Guru Har Rai, Nanak VII, (1630-61) also visited this