JIVAN SINGH CHHACHHI (d. 1852), son of Uttam Singh, a Kohli Khatri, was a military commander in Sikh times. His father and grandfather had also served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Jivan Singh`s contingent, consisting of sixty-five horse, five zamburds or camelswivels, and a kettledrum, was known all along the

PHARVAHI, a village 5 km southeast of Barnala (30°22`N, 75°32`E) in Sangrur district of the Punjab, has a historical gurdwara dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur who, according to local tradition, arrived here from Katlu in 1665 and stayed overnight. It is said that when the sangat requested the Guru

CHANDA SINGH (d. 1930), better known as Chanda Singh Vakil or lawyer, was born at Kaliarivali, district Sirsa, in the present Haryana state, in a Sikh farming family of moderate means. He was the eldest of the three sons of Dial Singh. An attack of smallpox in his childhood

JIVAN SINGH KARSEVAVALE, BABA (1894-1974), one of the principal disciples of Sant Gurmukh Singh Karscvavale (1849-1947), was born to Fatch Singh and Khem Kaur, peasants of modest means residing in the village of Rahal Chahal, in Tarn Taran tahsil of Amritsar district in the Punjab. Born in 1894, Jivan Singh

RAJINDER KAUR, DR (1931-1989), journalist and politician, was born at Amritsar on 10 February 1931, the daughter of the famous Akali leader, Master Tara Singh. She was educated at Khalsa College, Amritsar, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Camp College, New Delhi, and attained the degrees of M.A. (Philosophy), B.T. (Bachelor of

DEVINDER SINGH, RAJA (1822-1865), was born on 5 September 1822, the son of Raja Jasvant Singh of Nabha. He ascended the throne of Nabha on 5 October 1840 at the age of eighteen. During the first AngloSikh war of 184546, Devinder Singh whose sympathy was with the Lahore Darbar

KAHN SINGH (d. 1846), son of Panjab Singh of Gharjakh, in Gujranwala district, joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army and was sent to Pindi Gheb in command of 500 horse. He remained there for nine years when he was recalled and placed under General Hari Singh Nalva. Kahn Singh accompanied

SAMARTH RAMDAS (1608-1681), Maharashtrian saint remembered as the religious preceptor of the Maratha hero Chhatrapati Shivaji (1627-80), was born, in 1608, the son of Suryaji Pant and Ranubai, a Brahman couple of the village of Jamb, near Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. His original name was Narayana. His father died when

DHANNA SINGH, BHAI (d. 1935), an indefatigable Sikh pilgrim, was born about 1893, the son of Sundar Singh, a ChahalJatt of the village Ghanauri in Sarigrur district of the Punjab. His original name was Lal Singh. His father died when he was barely tan years old, and he and his

KARSEVA, voluntary contribution of physical labour towards cleaning and construction operations at sacred tanks and temples, holds a special significance in the Sikh tradition. Sevd, altruistic service, was preached by the Gurus as a means to God realization. "One who renders selfless service attains to the Lord`s presence," says

SANKARNATH, PANDIT (1789-1858), astrologer and diplomat, belonging to the village of Karivallur, in north Kerala, was a celebrated scholar of ancient lore. His reputation especially as an astrologer spread far beyond the confines of his native Kerala and he was in 1816 invited by Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra

DULEEP SINGH, MAHARAJA (1838-1893), the last Sikh sovereign of the Punjab, was born at Lahore on 6 September 1838, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. On 18 September 1843, at the age of five, he was, after the murder of Maharaja Sher Singh, proclaimed Maharaja of the Punjab