PHALLEVAL, village in Ludhiana district about 3 km south of Gujjaival, lias a historical shrine, Guidwaia Patshahi Chhevin, commemorating the visit of Guru Hargobind dining his lour of the Malva in 1631. One Chaudhari Kanhaiva is said to have served tile Guru will devotion and presented to him a horse, i bow and a quiver with 360 arrows. The Guru in turn blessed him with a turban and a dagger. The shrine established here was for a long time under Udasi priests, who surrendered its control to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee only after a lengthy civil suit.
POPULATION of the Sikhs, small as compared to other major religious communities of India, is chiefly concentrated in the Punjab, India, although being fond of travel, Sikhs are found in nearly all corners of the globe. The community is 500 years old, but the data regarding its spread geographically and numerically in the early period of its history are scarce. There is, however, evidence to show that the founder, Guru Nanak, travelled extensively in India and abroad and that there were sangats or fellowships of disciples, established at several places in the wake of his visits.
PUNN, a concept in the Indian tradition carrying simultaneously ethical, spiritual and philosophical connotations. As an ethical concept it implies voluntary obedience to the moral rules of conduct which have the sanction of a system of reward and punishment. As spiritual attitude, it is the inclination of the self towards a virtuous and ascetic living. As a metaphysical concept, it implies purity, holiness and goodness.
RATAN DAM by Tahkan, a translation and adaptation into Braj of Acharya Amar Singh`s Amar Kosh, the famous Sanskrit lexicon. Tahkan was one of the several poets who kept Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) company. In preparing Ratan Dam, the poet consulted works other than Amar Kosh as well. The manuscript which has so far remained unpublished comprises twentyeight chapters. The only extant copy (No. 2421) is preserved in the Central State Library, Patiala.
