NABHA, in Patiala district. 15 km south of Chandigarh (30° 44`N. 76° 46`E), has a historical gurudwara dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. The shrine, called Gurdwara Sis Asthan Patshahi IX ate Puja Asthan Patshahi X or simply, Gurdwara Nabha Sahib, is situated 200 metres south

GURBAKHSH, an Udasi saint contemporary with Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who was at the time of the evacuation of Anandpur directed by the Guru to stay behind to look after the local sangat and the sacred shrines. Years later, when Gulab Rai, a great grandson of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644),

NAND LAL, BHAI (c. 1633-1713), poet famous in the Sikh tradition and favourite disciple of Guru Gobind Singh. His poetry, all in Persian except for Joti Bigds, which is in Punjabi, forms part of the approved Sikh canon and can be recited along with scriptural verse at Sikh religious

AJIT SINGH, SAHIBZADA (1687-1705), the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, was born to Mata Sundari at Paonta on 26 January 1687. The following year, Guru Gobind Singh returned with the family to Anandpur where Ajit Singh was brought up in the approved Sikh style. He was taught the

GURBILAS PATSHAHIDASVIN, a poeticized account of the life of Guru Gobind Singh by Bhai Sukkha Singh. The poet, a convert to Sikhism from the barber caste, was born at Anandpur in 1768 and completed the work in 1797 when he was barely twenty-nine. The poetry is more Braj than Punjabi,

NANU, BHAI, a Sikh contemporary of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, was, according to Bhatt Vahi Multani Sindhi, the son of Bagha, a Chhimba (linenprinter) resident of Mohalla (ward) Dilvali Sikkhari in the city of Delhi. According to Kesar Singh Chhibbar, Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Kd, it was

AJMER CHAND, ruler of Kahlur (Bilaspur), one of the princely states in the Sivaliks. He succeeded his father. Raja Bhim Chand, who had retired in his favour. Bhim Chand had led battles against Guru Gobind Singh, and his son, Ajmer Chand, continued the hostility. He formed a league of

GURU KA LAHORE, a town in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, 12 km north of Anandpur Sahib associated with the matrimony of Guru Gobind Singh. In 1673 Bhai Hari Jas, a Subhikkhl Khatri of Lahore, had while on a visit to Anandpur betrothed his daughter Jito to him and

PRASADI HATHI, an elephant trained to perform several unusual feats, was among the presents brought to Guru Gobind Singh by an Assamese chief, Ratan Rai. According to Sikh chronicles, Ratan Rai`s father. Ram Rai had served Guru Tegh Bahadur during his travels across Assam in the mid1660s and received his

ALAM SINGH NACHNA (d. 1705), a warrior in the retinue of Guru Gobind Singh, was the son of Bhai Durgu, a Rajput Sikh of Sialkot. He earned the popular epithet Nachna (lit. dancer) because of his uncommon agility. Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, describes him as one of Guru

GURBAKHSH SINGH (also referred to as Bakhshash Singh) and Bakhshish Singh, Ralal Sikhs of Bharoval village in Amritsar district, were among the sangat or batch of Sikhs which led by Duni Chand came from the Majha in pursuance of Guru Gobind Singh`s call to attend the historic assembly convened

RANJIT NAGARA, lit. the drum of victory in battlefield, was the name given the kettledrum installed by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur in 1684. Nagdrd, Punjabi for the Persian naqqdrah meaning a kettledrum, was a symbol of royalty. As well as fulfilling his spiritual office, Guru Gobind Singh had, like