sikh

GAJJA SINGH, MAHANT (c. 1850-1914), maestro of Sikh classical devotional music, was born in a Jatt Sikh family of Vandar, a village in Faridkot district of the Punjab. He had a sensitive ear for music from his early childhood. His father, a pious Sikh himself, apprenticed him for religious instruction to the mahantor custodian of Gurusar (Mehraj), a historical shrine about 25 km northeast of Bathinda (30°14`N, 74°59`E). The mahant was impressed by the rapid progress Gajja Singh made in learning the scriptural and other texts and by his ability to sing the sacred hymns in the folk tunes he had picked up in his native village.

GOLAK or GURU KI GOLAK (the Guru`s own till). Golak (Sanskrit golak; Persian gholak) means, in Punjabi, a till, cash box or any other container used for keeping money especially one used for receiving contributions for charitable purposes. It is a time honoured Indian custom to carry an offering when going to make obeisance to one`s deity. In gurdwdrus, i.e. Sikh places of worship, a receptacle, golak, is usually kept in front of the sanctum into which the devotees drop their cash offerings. Besides, the Sikhs are enjoined to keep apart for communal sharing one-tenth of their earnings.

GURBAKHSH, an Udasi saint contemporary with Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who was at the time of the evacuation of Anandpur directed by the Guru to stay behind to look after the local sangat and the sacred shrines. Years later, when Gulab Rai, a great grandson of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), occupied the seat where Guru Gobind Singh used to hold assembly and, pretending to be Guru, started accepting offerings from Sikh devotees, Gurbakhsh remonstrated with him and finding him adamant and unrepcntcnt cursed him with an early death, with no progeny to continue his line. Gulab Rai soon died childless and it was the descendants of his brother, Shyam Singh, who flourished in Anandpur.

GURMUKH SINGH, SANT (1849-1947), with titles such as Patialevale, Karsevavale or simply Sevavale commonly added to the name as a suffix, was born in an Arora family in 1849 at the village of Dialgarh Buna, in the princely state of Patiala. His parents, Karam Singh and Gurdet, were a pious couple. From his father, Gurmukh Singh learnt to read the Guru Granth Sahib. He was of a quiet nature and spent most of his time reciting gurbdm.

HIRA SINGH, MAHARAJA SIR (1843-1911), born on 19 December 1843, the son of Sukkha Singh of Badrukkhari, ascended the throne of Nabha state on 10 August 1877 after Raja Bhagvan Singh who had died issueless and without adopting an heir. Hira Singh ruled for forty years and did much for the welfare of the people of the state and of the Sikhs in general. He despatched contingents of troops to fight in most of the major frontier campaigns and was duly rewarded by the British with many honours, including the titles of RajaiRajgan and Maharaja.

ISHAR SINGH, BHAI, one of the Five Muktas, fell a martyr in the battle of Chamkaur (7 December 1705). See DEVA SINGH, BHAi ISHAR SINGH, BHAI (1888-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, was born at Rupovali in Gurdaspur district on 13 Savan 1945 BK/27July 1888, the elder son of Bhai Vadhava Singh and Mai Lachhmi. Around 1906, the family migrated to Chakk No. 33 Dharovali in Sheikhupura district in search of a better living. At Dharovali contact with Lachhman Singh, who was a devout Sikh, changed the course of his life.

JAPU, BHAI, a Khatri of Vansi subcaste, was a devoted Sikh of Guru Nanak. See Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Mani Singh, Bhai, Sikhdn di Bhagat Maid. Ainritsar, 1955 2. Santokli Singh, Bhai, Sri Cur Pratdp Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1927-33 Gn.S. JAPU, BHAI, a devoted Sikh of the lime of Guru Arjan. The Guru taught him to join the sangat and practise ndm, i.e. absorption in the Divine Name. Bhai Japu`s name is included among the Guru`s devotees in Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhdn di Bhagat Maid. See also Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 19

JIVANMUKTA, in Sikhism the ideal and aim or objective of man`s spiritual life. The term is derived from jivanmukti {j`tvan=`ife; mukli=recasc, liberation, emancipation, freedom from bondage), and means one who has attained liberation from human bondage or one who has attained to the highest spiritual slate of being in tune with the Ultimate while still living. The idea of mukti is encountered, with some conceptual variations, in practically all religious faiths, e.g. moksa in Hinduism, nirvana in Buddhism, nijdt in Islam and salvation in Christianity.

KALGIDHAR DlWAN MALAYA, a socioreligious body of the Sikhs in Malaya (Malaysia), and an offshoot of Khalsa Diwan Malaya, was first formed in January 1918 as Khalsa Diwan, Sclangor (3"20`N, 101°15`E), by those elements of the Khalsa Diwan Malaya who were dissatisfied with the parent body`s affiliation witli the Chief Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar, and its indifferent attitude to the Komagala Maw`s sufferers. During the annual Sikh conference at Penang (5t`24`N, 100°19`E) in 1919, differences between the two groups became more pronounced on the question of disposal of surplus funds of the Khalsa Diwan Malaya.

KAUR, from Sanskrit human or kunvdr`i meaning a princess, young girl, or virgin, is a suffix which, by tradition and under stipulated code of conduct, is added to the names of all Sikh females, so that like their male counterpart, Singhs, they all have a common surname.