CHANDRA SAIN SAINAPATI, commonly referred to as Sainapati and counted among the "fifty-two poets" of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), was the son of Bal Chand, an educated Man Jatt of Lahore. His original name was Chandra Sain, Sainapati being the pseudonym he had taken. Chandra Sain, taught by one

DHILVAN KALAN, village 5 km southeast of Kot Kapura (30° 35`N, 74° 49`E) in Faridkot district of the Punjab, was the abode of Sodhi Kaul, shortened from Kaulnain, a descendant of Guru Arjan`s elder brother, Prithi Chand, and thus a collateral relation of Guru Gobind Singh. According to Bhai

GHULAL, an old village in Ludhiana district, 8 km west of Samrala (30°50`N, 76°ll`E), claims a historical shrine dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh. This Gurdwara is not included in older lists of Sikh historical shrines, but local tradition indicates that Guru Gobind Singh, on his way from Machhivara to the

GURPURB, a compound of two words, i.e. guru, the spiritual preceptor, and purb, parva in Sanskrit, meaning a festival or celebration, signifies in the Sikh tradition the holy day commemorating one or another of the anniversaries related to the lives of the Gurus. Observance of such anniversaries is a

IALL KALAN, village 10 km west of Samrala (30"50`N, 76"11`E) in Ludhiana district possesses a shrine called Gurdwara Guru Sai. commemorating the visit of Guru Gobind Singh. When Guru Gobind Singh, disguised as the Pir of Uchch and carried in a palanquin, was passing by this village, the commander of

KALE KHAN, one of the Pathan officers who had joined service under Guru Gobind Singh at Paonta Sahib after their dismissal from the Mughal army. He is said to have remained steadfast in his devotion to the Guru and his troops fought on his side in the battle of

MADAN NATH, head of a band of Kanphata yogis, called on Guru Gobind Singh as he was visiting Thanesar in 1702. As says Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, the yogi was surprised to see Guru Gobind Singh in a warrior\'s dress and gave expression to his

NAJABAT KHAN (d. 1688), a Pathan belonging to Kurijpura, who joined the service of Guru Gobind Singh at Paonta Sahib. He however deserted the Guru on the eve of the battle of Bharigani (1688) and joined hands with the hill rajas. During the battle he came face to face

PANJ PIARE (lit. the five beloved), name given to the five Sikhs, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Muhkam Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh, who were so designated by Guru Gobind Singh at the historic divan at Anandpur Sahib on 30 March 1699 and who formed

RAIPUR RANI, a large village on the left bank of the River Tarigri, 42 km from Chandigarh (3()" 44`N, `76° 47`E), was formerly a small hill principality. At the time of the battle of Bhangani in 1688, it was ruled by the widow of Rao Fatch Singh. She was

SALURI, a village 16 km north of Una along the Una Ambala road in Himachal Pradesh, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, who stayed here on his way to Nadaun early in 1691 AD. Gurdwara Patshahi Dasvin commemorating the Guru`s visit is situated on the left bank of the

SRI GUR SOBHA, a poetical work, part eulogy and part history, is an admixture of Braj and eastern Punjabi, by Sainapati who enjoyed Guru Gobind Singh`s patronage for several years. The work, which had remained unknown to scholars of the recent period, was rediscovered by Akali Kaur Singh and published