MAGGHAR SINGH, SANT (1890-1924). Sikh divine who attracted a local following, came of a Bhullar Jatt family of Ramgarh village, near Jagraon, in Ludhiana district of the Punjab. His grandfather had died fighting against the British in the battle of \'Alival (28 January 1846) during the first Anglo-Sikh war.

MAZHABI SIKHS, commonly pronounced as Mazhbi Sikhs, is the name given to Sikh converts from the Chuhra community, among the lowest in the Hindu caste order. Chuhras in medieval Punjab, corresponding to Bharigis of the Hindi speaking regions, were the village menials who received customary payment in kind at

NAGRA, village 16 km east of Sunam (30°7`N, 75°48`E) in the Punjab, was, according to local tradition, visited by Guru Hargobind and Guru Tegh Bahadur. A modest shrine built of baked bricks honoured the memory of the latter, but it is no longer in existence. The one dedicated to

NIRANJANIE, also called Handalie, was an heretic cult rounded by Handal (1573-1646) of Jandiala in Amritsar district, a former follower of Sultan SakhT Sarwar, who became a Sikh in the time of GuruAmar Das. He served in the Guru ka Larigar. Pleased with his devotion, the Guru appointed him

PREMA BHAI, a Khatri of Talvandi. now called Talvandi Chaudharian, in Kapurthala district of the Punjab, was a devout Sikh of the time of Guru Amar Das. He was lame in the leg, yet he daily walked, on crutches, to Goindval, 8 km from his village across the River

ROHTA, village 4 km north east of Nabha (30° 22`N, 76° 9`E) in Patiala district, is sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who visited it in the course of a journey through the Malva country. Sikhs belonging to the weaver community of the village established a platform to commemorate the

SARTHALI, a village 10 km south of Nurpur Bedi on Ropar Nurpur Bedi road in Ropar district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Gobind Sihgh, who arrived here from Anandpur on a brief visit. Gurdwara Ranthamba Sahib Patshahi Dasvin on the southern periphery of the village marks the spot

SUNDAR SINGH, BHAI (1881-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, belonged to Nizampur Deva Singhvala, near Dharovali in Sheikhupura district. His original name was Sudh Singh. He was the son of Bhai Chanda Singh Kamboj and Mat Hukami and was born in July August 1881, at their ancestral village Nizampur

VALLA, village 7 km east of Amritsar (31°38`N, 74°53`E) along the Amritsar Sri Hargobindpur road, is sacred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who visited here in November 1664. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Sura/` Granth, the Guru had come on a visit to the Harimandar, Amritsar, but

ALO HARAKH, village in Sangrur district, has a historical shrine called Gurdwara Sahib Alo Harakh Patshahi Naumi. A low domed Manji Sahib, under an old banyan tree marks the site where Guru Tegh Bahadur once sat arriving from the neighbouring village of Gunike. The congregation hall has a vaulting

BACHITTAR SINGH, BHAI (d. 1921), was a granthi (officiant) at the gurdwara in Chakk No. 85 Dalla Chanda Singhvala in Sheikhupura, in the newly colonized irrigation district in western Punjab. Nothing is known about his parentage or the date and place of his birth. He had arrived at the

BASARKE GILLAN, village 12 km southwest of Amritsar (31° 38`N, 74° 52`E) on the ChhehartaJhabal link road, is sacred to Guru Amar Das, Nanak III, who was born here on 5 May 1479. There are three historical shrines in the village. GURDWARA JANAM ASTHAN, a small shrine privately managed,