SAROVAR, a tank, pool or lake, especially at a sacred place or by a holy shrine used for sacramental ablutions and other religious ceremonies. Sanskrit synonyms are sar, sarvar, tarag and vapl. Another word is puskar or puskarini which usually means a pond full of lotus

MAGHI, Makara Sankranti, the first day of the month of Magh when, according to the Zodiac, the sun enters the house of Capricorn. It is observed in India as a winter solstice festival. The eve of Maghi is the common Indian festival of Lohri when bonfires are lit in Hindu

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

PANJOKHARA,   a village about 10 km from Ambala city (30° 23`N, 76° 47`E), is sacred to Guru Har Krishan. Gurdwara Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji, about 150 metres east of the village and commonly called Gurdwara Parijokhara Sahib, commemorates his stay here in early 1664. Summoned by Emperor Aurarigzib,

ALAM CHAND HANDA, a Sikh of Guru Arjan\'s time. As says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, Alam Chand, along with Bhai Murari Anand, Bhai Kaliana, Bhai Nanori, Bhai Latkan of Bindrao clan, and Bhai Saisaru Talvar, once came to the Guru and spoke with folded hands, "0

POTHI, popular Punjabi form of the Sanskrit pustaka (book), derived from the root pust (to bind) via the Pali potlhaka and Prakrit puttha. Besides Punjabi, the word poihi meaning a book is current in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Marathi languages as well. Among the Sikhs, however, polhi signifies a sacred book,

BILGA, village 14 km west of Phillaur(31°1`N, 75°47`E) in the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Arjan, who passed through it in June 1589 on his way to Mau where he got married. According to local tradition, Bilga was then a small settlement of only a few huts. The Guru changed

SADH, BHAI, devoted disciple of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), who lived near the ancient city of Balkh in central Asia. Zulfiqar Ardastani, the author of DabistanI Mazahib, a contemporary work in Persian, records, two anecdotes which show that Bhai Sadh was a devoted Sikh who, unaffected by joys and sorrows of

BODAL, village 4 km south of Dasuya (31°49`N. 75°39`E) in Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) who once visited here during a hunting expedition and rested under a garna tree (Capparis horrida) for some time. Bhai Chuhar, a Muslim bard of the village, entertained him

SALHO, BHAI (d. 1628), a prominent Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan, rendered devoted service during the excavation of the sacred tank and the construction of the Harimandar at Amritsar. He was especially assigned to keeping record of all receipts and expenditure, in cash as well as in