PARMANAND, a Maharashtrian saintpoet, one of whose hymns is included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Born probably in 1483, he is believed to have resided at Barsi, situated to the north of Pandharpur, in present day Sholapur district of Maharashtra. Parmanand was a devotee of Visnu and used in his

SITALA (SHITALA) He who runs towards Bhairava, Bhuta (Ghost) or Sitala, he can only be recipient of the reward of the vehicle of an ass, who rolls up in the dust. (Gond Namdev, p. 874) Sitala is the name of the deity, who is supposed to have the charge