PANCHAMI, lit. the fifth day of either phase {vadior sudi) of the moon. Panchami of the sudi, i.e. the brighter, phase is considered an auspicious day in the Hindu tradition, with some ritualistic observances attached to it. In the three Sikh hymns entitled Thitin/ Thiti devoted to the lunar days

PHARALA, village 11 km northeast of Phagwara (31°14`N, 75°46`E),`but falling in Jalandhar district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Har Rai (1630-1661), who halted here briefly during his journey from Kartarpur to Kiratpur. Gurdwara Guru Har Rai Sahib, in the northeastern part of the village, is an old

RAM SINGH, BHAI, a descendant of Bhai Bhagatu, was a devout Sikh. He served Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) with devotion when the latter visited his village Chakk Bhai in Bathinda district of the Punjab during his travels through these parts in 1706. He again presented himself at Damdama Sahib,

RUP KAUR, BIBI, commonly believed to be the adopted daughter of Guru Har Rai, was, according to Bhatt Vahi Talauda, his real daughter born to Mata Sulakkhani on 8 April 1649. She was married, on 3 December 1662, to Khem Karan, son of Bhai Per Mall, a Dhussa Khatri

SANDHVAN, village 13 km northeast of Phagwara (31° 14`N, 75° 46E),in Nawashahr district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine dedicated to Guru Har Rai (1630-61), who passed through here while on his way from Kartarpur to Kiratpur. The shrine, called Gurdwara Danda Sahib Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib

SHAHABAD (30"10`N, 7653E), also called Shahabad Markanda, is an old town in Kurukshetra district of Haryana on the left bank of the Markanda River, 20 km south of Ambala Cantonment. During the medieval period it had a fortified serai used by imperial officers and troops moving between Delhi and

SUNDAR SINGH, BHAI (1881-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, belonged to Nizampur Deva Singhvala, near Dharovali in Sheikhupura district. His original name was Sudh Singh. He was the son of Bhai Chanda Singh Kamboj and Mat Hukami and was born in July August 1881, at their ancestral village Nizampur

THAKAR SINGH, DOCTOR (1885-1945), a Ghadr activist who also took part in the Akali movement of 1920-25, was the son of Sher Singh of Ikulaha, a village 6 km southwest of Kharina (30"42`N, 76°13`E) in Ludhiana district of die Punjab. He was an undergraduate at Khalsa College, Amritsar, when he

VARANASI (25°20`N, 82°58`E), the holiest place of Hindu pilgrimage, has since ancient times, been one of the most important centres of Sanskrit learning. Guru Gobind Singh sent five of his Sikhs to Varanasi to study Sanskrit, and following them several centres for the study of Sanskrit and theology were

AMRITSAR (31°38\'N, 74°53\'E), principal holy city of the Sikhs, is the headquarters of a district (Amritsar) in the Punjab. The foundation of the town was laid in 1577 by Guru Ram Das (1534-81) when he inauguarted the digging of the holy tank Amritsar (amrit = nectar, sar = pool)

AMAR SINGH (1888-1962), who came into prominence in the Gurdwara reform movement, was the eldest of the three sons of Gopal Singh of the village of Jhabal, in Amritsar district of the Punjab. His great grandfather, Gulab Singh, had served in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his