BARAH MAHA or BARAH MASA, in Hindi, is a form of folk poetry in which the emotions and yearnings of the human heart are expressed in terms of the changing moods of Nature over the twelve months of the year. In this form of poetry, the mood of Nature

BIBIPUR KHURD, locally called Bipur, is a small village in Patiala district, 8 km southeast of Ghuram (30° 7`N, 76° 28`E). It has a historical shrine, Gurdwara Patshahi Nauvin, sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who visited the site during one of his travels through Malva and Bangar regions. The Gurdwara,

Bara Maha Majh (Song of Twelve Months in Majh Raga) is a composition of Guru Arjan Dev,the fifth in the line of the ten Gurus or prophet-teachers of the Sikh faith. Guru Arjan Dev\'s poetry has the imprint of chaste classical culture, despite its limitation today, being in a

CHHEHARTA SAHIB, GURDWARA, 7 km west of Amritsar (31° 38`N, 74° 52`E), is named after a well got sunk by Guru Arjan (1563-1606). The well was so wide that six Persian wheels installed around it could operate simultaneously. Hence its name Chheharta, lit. having six (chhe) Persian wheels (hart

COURT, CLAUDE AUGUSTE (1793-1880), general in the Sikh army, honorary general of France, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, recipient of the Auspicious Order of the Punjab, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of England, and Member of several continental scientific and learned societies, was born at Saint Cezaire, France,

FORD, MATTHEW WILLIAM (d. 1841), an Englishman who started his career in 1804 as an ensign in a West India regiment. He successively served with the 7th Foot, the 70th Foot, the 1st Royal Scots and the 22nd Light Dragoons. In 1823, he was appointed paymaster to the 16th Foot.

GONDPUR, village 22 km south of Hoshiarpur (31°32`N, 75°55`E), in the Punjab, claims a historical shrine, Gurdwara Tahli Sahib, dedicated to Guru Hargobind, who came here from Pur Hi ran on his way to Kiratpur and stayed in a grove of tdhfi trees. A platform was raised on the site

MANAK TABRA, a village about 3 km north of Raipur Rani in Naraingarh subdivision of Ambala district, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, who visited it as he was travelling from Paonta to Anandpur in 1688. It was here that the Rani of Raipur came to see him. Gurdwara

NIHANG KHAN, Muslim chief of Kotia Nihang Khan, near Ropar, in the Punjab, was a devotee of Guru Gobind Singh. According to Sarup Singh Kaushish, Guru kidn Sakhtan, he with his wife and sons attended Baisakhi festivity at Anandpur in 1694 and rendered homage to the Guru. At his

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