BADALI, BHAI, a Sodhi Khatri, and Se^h Gopal figure in the roster of prominent Sikhs of the time of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) in Bhai Gurdas, Varan XI. 31. As they sought the Guru\'s instruction he, records Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, impressed upon them the virtue of humility. Both Bhai Badali and Bhai Gopal embraced the precept and won renown as devout Sikhs.
BENGAL AND INDIA SECRET LETTERS, also known as Letters received from India and Bengal or merely Secret Letters to the Secret Committee, preserved at the India Office Library, London. This correspondence is arranged in two series: the first covers the period 1778-1859 and the second 1817-1857. Relevant Enclosures to Secret Letters on the events and matters of India policy, from 1778 to 1859, are huge in bulk over 20,000 bound volumes. Some of these Secret Letters have been printed in the Blue Books, presented to British Parliament, viz.
BISHAN SINGH, SANT (d. 1973), holy saint most of whose life was spent in works of seva, raising of buildings by labour volunteered by devotees, at different shrine sites, came of a well to do Sindhi family. Nothing is known about his early life except that his parents were Sahajdhari Sikhs and that he was in government service when he came in 1940 to the Punjab on a pilgrimage visiting Sikh places of worship and saw Sant Gurmukh Singh of Patiala, then engaged in massive works of seva reconstructing the shrines and sacred pools at Khadur Sahib and Goindval. Bishan Singh was so impressed by the piousness, humility and devotion of Sant Gurmukh Singh and of the large number of Sikhs volunteering their labour that he resigned his post in the government, gave away his personal belongings and joined the holy company.
CHIEF KHALSA DIWAN. Until the emergence of more radical platforms such as the Sikh League (1919), Shiromam Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (1920) and Shiromani Akali Dal (1920), the Chief Khalsa Diwan, established on 30 October 1902, was the main council of the Sikhs, controlling their religious and educational affairs and raising its voice in behalf of their political rights. It has proved to be a durable setup and it still retains its initiative in education, though its role in the other spheres has progressively shrunken over the years.
DERA, a word of Persian extraction, has several connotations. The original Persian word derah or dirah means a tent, camp, abode, house or habitation. In current usage in rural Punjab, a farmhouse or a group of farmhouses built away from the village proper is called dera. Even after such an habitation develops into a separate village or a town, it may continue to be called dera, e.g. Dera Bassi in Patiala district of the Punjab, or Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Isma`il Khan in Pakistan. Where colloquially used in place of Hindi dehara, the word will carry the connotation of a temple or memorial over a cremation site.
FIVE SYMBOLS, a set of five distinctive features or elements of personal appearance or apparel that set off Sikhs from the followers of any other religious faith. Any study of religious symbols involves a dual task: first, to explain the meaning of symbols not only in terms of their original connotations but also on the basis of contemporary categories of understanding; secondly, to discriminate between genuine symbolism and piny post hoc interpretations which later times may have imposed on things originally having little symbolic relevance. A symbol is generally defined as something that stands for, represents or denotes something else, especially a material object representing or taken to represent something immaterial or abstract, as being an idea, quality or condition. Words, phrases and sentences, for instance, represent various beings, ideas, qualities or conditions.
Explore how the Guru Nanak Vidya Bhandar Trust promotes Sikh education through schools, scholarships, and training centers. Established by leaders in 1924.
Husain Khan marched with a large army in 1696, aiming to avenge a defeat. Discover his role in the battle and the fierce outcome in this historical account.
Discover the legacy of Bhai Jetha, a devoted Sikh who served Gurus Arjan and Hargobind, fought bravely, and embraced martyrdom in 1634.
Explore the tradition of Kar Bhet, a heartfelt offering by Sikhs to the Guru, rooted in honest labor and community service, enriching spiritual devotion.
