PATTI, lit. a wooden tablet on which children learn to write the alphabet, is the name given to two hymns, in the Guru Granth Sahib, composed in the form of an acrostic, employing letters of the Gurmukhi alphabet. Pattt by Guru Nanak titled Rdgu Asd Mahald IPatfiLikhi comprises thirty-five

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

RUTI (RUTTI), a composition by Guru Arjan in Raga Ramkali in the Guru Granth Sahib comprising eight six line stanzas, preceded by two slokas, each of two lines. Rutfi is the plural of rutt, Skt. rtu (season). The slokas introduce the theme briefly while the stanzas, called chhantshere, elaborate

SAISARU, BHAI, a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Ram Das. His name occurs in Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 17. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Mani Singh, Bhai, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala. Amritsar, 1955 2. Santokh Singh, Bhai, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1927-35 Gr.S. SAISARU, BHAI, a Talvar Khatri

SATBIR SINGH (1932-1994) was born on 1 March 1932 at Jehlum (now in Pakistan). Father : Bhai Harnam Singh, mother: Ranjit Kaur. Professor Satbir Singh`s tally of more than 70 titles covering a life span of 62 years makes a formidable catalogue. Among it are works of minute research,

SULAHI KHAN, a Mughal courtier, was befriended by Baba Prithi Chand with a view to securing official patronage for his claim to succession to the spiritual title to which his father, Guru Ram Das, had nominated his youngest son, Arjan. Prithi Chand, eldest of three brothers, had founded a new

TEJA SINGH, PROFESSOR (1894-1958), teacher, scholar and translator of the Sikh sacred texts, was born Tej Ram on 2 June 1894 at the village of Adiala in Rawalpindi district, now in Pakistan. His father`s name was Bhalakar Singh. At the age of three, Tej Ram was sent to the village

VANJARA SIKHS or Banjaras, akin to Labana Sikhs of the Punjab, are found scattered throughout Central and South India as well as in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Although vanjara, from Sanskrit vanij (a merchant, trader), is now used as a generic term for peddlers in the Punjab, the Vanjaras during

AKHAND PATH (akhand = uninterrupted, without break; path = reading) is nonstop, continuous recital of the Guru Granth Sahib from beginning to end. Such a recital must be completed within 48 hours. The entire Holy Volume, 1430 large pages, is read through in a continuous ceremony. This reading must

ABDHUT/AUDHUT/AVADHUT A kind of Hindu devotee who worships Shiva. neglects the ceremonies of religion, and goes naked, with the body besmeared with ashes. Guru Nanak defines the Abdhut as a person who renounces vice and is imbued with the Holy Name. Such a person not only liberates himself front

BANSAVALINAMA DASAN PATSHAHIAN KA is a poeticized account of the lives of the Gurus by Kesar Singh Chhibbar. The term bansavalinama means a genealogy. Another term used in the text is "kursinama" which is Persian for "genealogy." But, strictly speaking, this work is not a genealogical table. It is

BHAU MORAL, BHAI, a Mokal Khatri, was a devoted Sikh of Guru Arjan`s time. He was one of the sangat who once waited on the Guru and complained how some people were composing verses using Nanak as a pseudonym. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, this