guru

MIHARBAN JANAM SAKHI takes its name from Sodhi Miharban, nephew of Guru Arjan and leader of the schismatic Mma sect. Miharban`s father, Prithi Chand, was the eldest son of Guru Ram Das and as such had greatly resented being passed over as his father`s successor in favour of a younger brother. He set himself as a rival to the Guru. He and his followers who supported his claims were stigmatized as Mmas or hypocrites and out castes.

MUKANDA, BHAI, a talented musician, was initiated into Sikhism by Guru Arjan. He daily recited kirtan at the morning and evening divans attended by the Guru himself. His name has been included by Bhai Gurdas in his Varan, XI. 18

MURARI, BHAI, an Anand Khatri, who accepted Sikhism at the hands of Guru Arjan. The Guru taught him to practise ndm, i.e. repeat the Divine Name, and to serve others. The name figures in Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 27.

NADAUN, BATTLE OF, fought on 20 March 1691 between an imperial expeditionary force aided by Raja Kirpal Chand of Kangra and Raja Dyal of Bijharval in the Sivalik hills on the one hand and several other neighbouring chieftains who enjoyed the support of Guru Gobind Singh on the other. The hill barons taking advantage of Emperor Aurarigzib`s preoccupation with Maratha insurgency in the South had neglected to pay their annual tributes into the imperial treasury. Early in 1691 orders were issued to Hifzullah Khan alias Miari Khan, Governor of Jammu, to realize the arrears. Miari Khan despatched a punitive force under Alif Khan.

NANAKIANA SAHIB, GURDWARA, near the village of Mangval, 4 km east of Sangrur (30° 14`N, 75° 50`E) in the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Nanak and Guru Hargobind. When Guru Nanak came here in the early sixteenth century, the village of Mangval was, according to local tradition, closer to the site of the present Gurdwara which stands near a deep pond. It was on the bank of this pond that the Guru had preached to the villagers. A century later, as Guru Hargobind visited the village in 1616, he reminded the inhabitants to maintain the sanctity of the pool consecrated by Guru Nanak and not to pollute its water with village waste. He also had a platform constructed in honour of Guru Nanak.

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 Bhai Nanu who reclaimed the severed head of Guru Tegh Bahadur from Chandani Chowk, the site of the Guru`s execution in November 1675, and, accompanied by Bhai Jaita, a Rarighreta Sikh, also of Delhi, carried it to Anandpur, where Guru Gobind Singh cremated it with due honour.

NESTA, village 2 km south of Atari in Amritsar district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) who stayed here for a while during his journey from Lahore to Amritsar. According to local tradition, at the villagers` complaint that the water of their well was brackish, the Guru had them dig another well close to it. The water of this well was sweet (mittha, in Punjabi). Both these wells still exist side by side. The shrine established here came to be called Mitthasar.

NISHCHAL SINGH, PANDIT SANT (1882-1978), widely respected holy man, preacher of Sikhism and head of the Sevapanthi sect of the Sikhs (1950-78), was born on 18 April 1882, the son of Bhai Amir Singh and Mat Piar Kaur, a pious couple of Mittha Tiwana in Shahpur (Sargodha) district of Pakistan Punjab. Nishchal Singh lost his father at the age of five and was brought up under the care of his eldest brother, Mahitab Singh. Mahitab Singh, himself a devoted Sevapanthi saint, led Nishchal Singh to take to the same path. He sent him to Varanasi for higher learning.

PAHAFUE,, usually pronounced pahire, is the title shared by four of the Sikh hymns two by Guru Nanak and one each by Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjanrecorded consecutively in the Siri Rag portion of the Guru Granth Sahib. The term pahareis the plural of pahard, meaning a guard or watch, and is cognate, etymologically and semantically, with Sanskrit prahar which is a unit of time in the Indian system of calculation. Eight pahars make a day and night, a paharthus equalling three hours. In the poems entitled Pahare, the span of human life is compared to night and is divided into four stages, each stage being called pahar corresponding to four pahars of night.

PANDHER, village 25 km south of Barnala (30° 22`N, 75° 32`E) in Sangrur district of the Punjab, has a historical shrine commemorating the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur. It is said that as Guru Tegh Bahadur arrived here late in the afternoon and asked for a site for his camp, one of the villagers pointed in jest to the potter`s house saying, "That is the place where travellers stay." The Guru`s followers remarked, These are thick headed people." The Guru immediately turned his horse and proceeded towards `All Sher village. Khumari, the headman of Pandher, said, "This is a very proud man." Later, when they learnt who he was, they repented their impudence.