PROMINENT MOHYAL

SIR GANESH DATT SINGH
Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh KCSI, KCIE (1868–1943) was an Indian administrator and educationist. He did much to improve education and health services in the state of Bihar and Orissa in the pre-independence era.^] Dutt made generous donations from his earnings and personal property for the development of educational institutions, such as the radium institute in Patna Medical College, Darbhanga Medical College, Ayurvedic College and schools for the blind and deaf A short film based on the life and works of Dutt has been made by Prakash Jha. He was Minister for Local Self Government in British Government of Bihar and Orissa and one of the major public figures of the province of Bihar. Sir Ganesh Dutt had donated his house Krishna Kunj to Patna University to start the Patna University Institute of Psychological Research and Service, one of the oldest psychological service centres in Eastern India in 1945 at the initiative of Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh Sinha, who was the then Vice Chancellor of Patna University. Sir Dutt saved nearly three-fourth of his salary each month for 14 long years only to give it away to various charities to benefit orphans, widows, and schools in the state.
He took keen interest in Patna University’s development.^] He donated some of his valuable assets to the varsity and worked hard to dispense the practice of appointing former judges as vice-chancellors. Dr Sachchidanand Sinha became the first VC of Patna University who was not a judge
Sir Ganesh Dutta started studying English only when he was 18 in an era when you could not take ICS entrance examinations after you were 19. There is an interesting family story about how he took to English. He was at is in-laws place when a telegram came. Someone asked him to read it. His father-in-law tersely remarked “oh If only i was that fortunate that my son-in-law could read english”. The remark hurt Sir Ganesh Dutta’s pride. He devoted himself to studies and matriculated five years later with first division and a scholarship for proficiency in maths . He did not stop there and went on to become a modestly successful lawyer and later a minister in the government of Bihar and Orissa from 1923 to 1937, the longest tenure for any minister anywhere in the whole British Empire,^]. Sir Ganesh Dutt was the Minister of Local Self Government in the British Cabinet from 1923 till 1937 when the Provincial Government was established
While he was the Minister of Local Self Government, Sir Ganesh Dutt was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. State functions are organised by the Government of Bihar on the birth anniversary of Sir Ganesh Dutt on January 13 every year

PROMINENT MOHYALS

ZORAWAR CHAND BAKHSHI
Lt. Gen. Zorawar Chand Bakhshi (Hindi: ज़ोरावर चन्द बख़शी) (b 1919) is a famous retired soldier of the Indian Army, and has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General"
  Gen. Bakhshi belongs to the Lau clan of the Mohiyal community, noted for its martial tradition. His father, Sardar Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand Lau OBI was a decorated soldier as well, in the British Indian Army.
His family belonged to the village of Guliana, Rawalpindi District. As with many other non-Muslims of that region, his family had to shift to India after the independence of Pakistan. Prior to the partition, he graduated from Rawalpindi's Gordon College in 1942.
CAREER AND AWARDS
After being commissioned into the Baloch Regiment of the British Indian Army in 1942, his first major battle was against the Japanese in Burma in World War II, where he earned a Mention-in-Despatches for overcoming a heavily fortified Japanese position. After the Liberation of Burma, he participated in the operations to liberate Malaysia from Japanese control, earning a fast-track promotion to the rank of a Major for his role.
Upon the Partition of India in 1947, he was transferred to the 5th Gorkha Rifles regiment of the Indian Army.
In the Indo-Pak war of 1948 , he was awarded a Vir Chakra for his bravery. Soon afterwards, he was awarded the MacGregor Medal in 1949. In the Indo Pak war of 1965, he was instrumental in the capture of the Haji Pir Pass from the Pakistani Forces, for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. In the early 60s, he led his battalion in a United Nations Operation to undo the secession of the province of Katanga from Congo, in the process earning a Vishisht Seva Medal

 

. In 1969-1970, he led very successful counter-insurgency operations in pockets of North East India. In the 1971 war, he was instrumental in the capture of territory in what is now referred to as the crucial Chicken-Neck Sector, for which we was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal

 

.
He is popularly known as "Zoru" in the Indian Army

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

SHOBHNA BHARTIA

Born - 1957
Achievements - Daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. In the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award.

Born in the year 1957, the daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla and grand daughter of GD Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. This lady holds the credit of raising Rs 400 Crore via public equity launch of the HT Media group in the year 2005. Till the year 2004, the Birla family owned 75.36 per cent stake in HT Media.

Here's more information about the biography of Shobhana Bhartia, who graduated from the Calcutta University and later, wedded Shyam Sunder Bhartia. This particular gentleman is the chairman of the Rs 14 billion Jubilant Organosys Limited, a Pharma company. Shamit Bhartia, their son, is also a member in the HT Media group. At the same time, he operates lifestyle businesses like Domino's Pizza franchise in the country and a convenience store chain in Bangalore city.

At the time when Shobhana Bharatiya became a member of the Hindustan Times in the year 1986, she was the very first woman chief executive of a national newspaper and in all probability, also among the youngest. Shobhana Bhartia is regarded as one of the crucial people there who played a pivotal role in revamping the image of the Hindustan Times into a "bright and young paper". The life history of Shobhana Bhartia's career is full of achievements.

Shobhana was nominated the member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament i.e. the Rajya Sabha. Shobhana Bhartia was also handed the Global Leader of Tomorrow award by the World Economic Forum in the year 1996. Then again in the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award. The National Press India Award was given to Shobhana in the year 1992.

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

KIRAN MAZUMDZR SHAW

Born: March 23, 1953
Achievement: Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd; Felicitated with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, India's biggest biotechnology company. In 2004, she became India's richest woman.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was born on March 23, 1953 in Bangalore. She had her schooling at Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College at Bangalore. After doing completing her B.Sc. in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973, she went to Ballarat University in Melbourne, Australia and qualified as a master brewer.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Ireland. In the same year, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon India in collaboration with Biocon Biochemicals Limited, with a capital of Rs.10,000. She initially faced many problems regarding funds for her business. Banks were hesitant to give loan to her as biotechnology was a totally new field at that point of time and she was a woman entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon.

Biocon's initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Under Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's stewardship Biocon transformed from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Today, Biocon is recognised as India's pioneering biotech enterprise. In 2004, Biocon came up with an IPO and the issue was over-subscribed by over 30 times. Post-IPO, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw held close to 40% of the stock of the company and was regarded as India's richest woman with an estimated worth of Rs. 2,100 crore.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards. These include ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Government of India also felicitated her with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

RAUNAQ SINGH

Born: 1922
Achievement: Founder of Raunaq Group; Elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris 

Raunaq Singh was one of the earliest entrepreneurs of independent India who made it big. He was the founder of Raunaq group. The Raunaq Group's major companies include Apollo Tyres Ltd, Bharat Gears Ltd, Bharat Steel Tubes Ltd, Raunaq International Ltd, Menarini Raunaq Pharma Ltd, and Raunaq Automotive Components Ltd.

Raunaq Singh was born in 1922. After initial struggle he went on to become a powerful figure in corporate India. At one point of time in his life he could afford only one paisa a day for meals and when he retired his group was employing 9000 people on his payroll. 

Raunaq Singh was a great advocate of economic liberalization and globalization of the Indian business. He worked tirelessly to put the Indian industry on the global map. He held several key leadership positions in Industry & Trade Associations. These included President Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), President The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Chairman Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), Chairman Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, and President Federation of Indian Export Organization. 

Raunaq Singh won several awards for his entrepreneurship. He was often referred as "Mr. Exporter", because of his inclination for exports and export promotion for Indian Industry. Raunaq Singh also won international recognition for his entrepreneurial skills. was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris for a three-year term.

Raunaq Singh died on September 30, 2002.

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

BHAI MOHAN SINGH

Born: December 30, 1917
Achievement: Founder of pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd; Awarded with Padma Shri

Bhai Mohan Singh can be called as the doyen of pharmaceutical industry in India. He is the founder of pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.

Bhai Mohan Singh was born on December 30, 1917 in Rawalpindi district. His father Bhai Gyan Chand was a Hindu and his mother Sunder Dai was a Sikh. Bhai Mohan Singh began his business career in the construction business during the Second World War. His firm bagged a contract to build roads in the North East. After Partition, he left Rawalpindi and settled down in New Delhi.

Bhai Mohan Singh started business as a moneylender. Ranbaxy was started by his cousins Ranjit Singh and Gurbax Singh. Ranbaxy's name was a fusion of Ranjit and Gurbax's names. They were distributors for A. Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company manufacturing vitamins and anti-TB drugs. When Ranbaxy defaulted on a loan, Bhai Mohan Singh bought the company on August 1, 1952, for Rs 2.5 lakh.

Bhai Mohan Singh collaborated with Italian pharma company Lapetit Spa and later on bought it. Bhai Mohan Singh made his mark in the pharmaceuticals industry in the late 1960s when he launched his first superbrand, Calmpose.

Calmpose was an imitation of Roche's valium. But Roche had not patented it in India. In early 1970s when Indian adopted a regime of process patents in the Bhai Mohan Singh quickly realised that one could make any product in the world through reverse engineering. He established an R&D facility at Mohali and launched one blockbuster pill after the other, such as Roscillin, Cifran etc.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd went public in 1973. At this time Bhai Mohan Singh introduced his eldest son Parvinder Singh in the company, who later on became the company's Managing Director in 1982. Bhai Mohan Singh also co-founded Max India with his youngest son, Analjit Singh.

With liberalisation differences arose between Bhai Mohan Singh and Parvinder Singh over the expansion and professionalisation strategy of Ranbaxy. Subsequently, in 1999 in a boardroom coup of sorts Bhai Mohan Singh was forced to bow down and Parvider took over the company. This broke Bhai Mohan Singh's spirit and he retired from active company affairs. He died on March 27, 2006.

Bhai Mohan Singh was a former vice president of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in civic matters. For his contribution to the industrial development of Punjab, the Punjab Goverment had named an Industrial Township near Ropar after Bhai Mohan Singh.

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

KUSHAL PAL SINGH
[K.P.Singh]

Born: August 15, 1931
Achievement: Chairman of DLF Group; Recipient of the 'Delhi Ratna' Award for his valuable contribution to Delhi

K.P. Singh is the Chairman of DLF Group and can be christened as the real estate baron of India. DLF has a strong leadership presence in Indian real estate industry and the company is credited with developing the modern township of Gurgaon.

K.P. Singh (Kushal Pal Singh) was born on August 15, 1931 at Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh. After graduating in Science from Meerut College, he went to UK to study Aeronautical Engineering. While pursuing engineering in UK, K.P. Singh was selected to the prestigious Indian Army, by British Officers Services Selection Board, UK. He joined the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and was later on commissioned into The Deccan Horse-a renowned cavalry regiment of The Indian Army.

In 1960, K.P. Singh joined American Universal Electric Company, a joint venture between Universal Electric Company of Owosso, Michigan and his family. Thereafter, K.P. Singh promoted another company, i.e. Willard India Limited in collaboration with ESB inc of Philadelphia for manufacturing automatic and industrial batteries in India and became its Managing Director.

In 1979, K.P. Singh joined DLF Universal Limited. When American Universal Company merged with DLF Universal Limited, K.P. Singh became the Managing Director of the new company. K.P. Singh had the vision to buy land in Gurgaon, which was then a barren village on the outskirts of Delhi. He had the foresight to saw the untapped potential of the place and today Gurgaon is one of the real-estate hotspots of the country. Presently, DLF has 100 million square feet under development in residential, commercial and retail projects all over the country.

Kushal Pal Singh also held a number of professional positions in India. He was the President of the ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India) and the PHD Chambers of Commerce & Industry. K.P. Singh is also the recipient of the 'Delhi Ratna' Award for his valuable contribution to Delhi.

PROMINENT PUNJABI WOMEN

KIRAN BEDI

-A Sensitive Lady With Iron Spirit

I'm here to do my best for the day" - Kiran Bedi

Inspirational true life stories are tagged as favorite celebrities for decades. One such well known celebrity around the globe who is recognized for her courage, welfare strategies and tag line 'I Dare' is Kiran Bedi. She dreamt and worked for a better world and she achieved it. Read all about the inspirational icon who has always worn a smile in the battle of life.
Early Life
Kiran Bedi born on 9th June 1949 in Amritsar, as the second of the four daughters to her parents, Prakash Lal Peshawaria and Prem Lata Peshawaria. She completed her schooling and graduation in Arts from her native place itself. She earned a master's degree the following year in Political science from Punjab University. The ardent learner with active service in the Indian Police also acquired a law degree (LLB) from Delhi University. She was also awarded a Ph.D. in 1993 in Social Sciences by the Department of Social Sciences, the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
As a child born in a well to do family, Kiran was aware of how special her life was compared to the majority of Indian children. Her parents sacrificed a great deal, so that their daughters could go to the best schools, learn sports, and be exceptional in the male dominated country.

As a teenager Kiran Bedi won Asian women's lawn tennis champion. Recollecting her childhood she sates in one of her interviews, "I came from a sports background where I was the only girl traveling with a batch of 20 boys." After few years she was recognized as the first woman to join the Indian Police service in 1972.
 Marital Life
Kiran Bedi with husband Brij Bedi

Kiran Bedi was determined to choose her own life partner at an early age, as the bitter shades of marital relationship of her elder sister always bid a nightmare to the term called marriage. Shashi her elder sister was a girl next door who dreamt of leading a normal life like any other girl. Sashi got engaged to a Canada-based Indian heart specialist while she was pursuing her Master's degree. The marriage was a disaster as the doctor was already engaged to someone else in Canada. But Shashi could not fight for her marriage but had to succumb to the doctors interest (like bribe) and stay with him for life in an unknown land. This bitter experience increased Kiran's determination to make her own way in her own country.

Read more about her marital life and her career as a brave heart Police Officer who even towed Indira's Gandhi's car for breaking the law and her most prestigious awards in the next page.

When Kiran and Brij Bedi learnt that their carers needed special attention both of them decided to lead a separate life by remaining soul companions. Both of them took delight in leading a life that reciprocates growth of an individual. When a far they took the delight in expressing their loneliness, unhappiness, and distance in the form of poetry. This kind of marital arrangement is unconventional in India even till this date. With both parental and marital support, Kiran strived to make a difference around her.

Kiran and Brij had a daughter, Saina, three years after Kiran started her career in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Saina is also involved in community service. She along with her husband Ruzbeh N. Bharucha, (a journalist by profession) produce short films and documentaries.
 Career

When asked in an interview why did she choose career in Police she promptly replied, " For me policing is not punitive. It always stood for social welfare. But tough welfare. Where I could command welfare, I could demand welfare, and I could produce welfare."

Kiran Bedi began her career as a lecturer in Political Science (1970 -72). She left the post soon after she got selected for the Indian Police Service in the year 1972. In the police service she served in a number of different and challenging assignments that range from Traffic Commissioner of New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in insurgency prone Mizoram, Advisor to the Lieutanent Governor of Chandigarh, Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau and also on a United Nationsdeputation.

Kiran Bedi did not fear anybody. For her the law was the same for all, be it the President of India or any commoner. It is said that she once towed the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi car for parking violation who was on tour of United States.

Kiran Bedi also influenced other areas like control of narcotics, traffic management and VIP security. During her transfer to Tihar Jail as the Inspector General of Prison she worked relentlessly to give jailed convicts a new lease of life through meditation and spiritualism. She initiated a number of measures in prison management some of them are yoga, vipassana meditation, and redressing of complaints by prisoners. Her humane and fearless approach has contributed greatly to innumerable innovative policing and prison reforms.

Kiran Bedi has set up two major voluntary organizations called Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation
with the objectives of improving the condition of the drug addicts and the downtrodden. Her organization has been applauded from far and wide. It was also awarded 'Serge Soitiroff Memorial Award' for drug abuse prevention by the United Nations. She has recently been appointed as Director General of India's Bureau of Police Research and Development. Earlier, she was Police Advisor in the United Nations peacekeeping department, and has also been honored with the UN medal for outstanding service.
 Awards Galore

• President's Gallantry Award (1979)
• Women of the Year Award (1980)
• Asia Region Award for Drug Prevention and Control (1991)
• Magsaysay Award (1994) for Government Service (also called the Asian Nobel Prize)
• Mahila Shiromani Award (1995)
• Father Machismo Humanitarian Award (1995)
• Lion of the Year (1995)
• Joseph Beuys Award (1997)
• Pride of India (1999)
• Mother Teresa Memorial National Award for Social Justice (2005) 

PROMINENT PUNJABI WOMEN

KEWAL KAUR

From the information provided by Amarjit Chandan, this is all we know about Kewal Kaur:
Kewal Kaur (c1940. Samrai BhodaN. Jalandhar – 1982)


An activist of the Maoist-Naxalite CPI (ML) in East Punjab, Kewal Kaur was jailed during Moga agitation in 1972.
She was the Editor of a Punjabi magazine Ma (The Mother).
Kewal Kaur was forced to commit suicide in Jalandhar in 1982.
Photo by Amarjit Chandan, Jallandhar 1974

PROMINENT PUNJABI WOMEN

BIBI GULAB KAUR- 


THE LITTLE-KNOWN HEROINE OF GHADAR PARTY


Gulab Kaur, a revolutionary of early 1900s, is the first Great Punjabi Woman featured here though we know little about her.

Yet there is this amazing possibility that this post may find someone who can tell us more.
Gulab Kaur (circa 1890 Bakhshiwala District Sangrur – 1931)

According to Amarjit Chandan, Gulab joined Ghadr Party (established California, June 1913) in the Philippines where Hafiz Abdullah of Jagraon was the President of the local branch. She also worked with other Ghadr Party leaders such as Banta Singh Sanghwal and Harnam Singh Tundilat. Gulab Kaur kept vigil on party printing press in guise, and helped in the distribution of arms and literature.
Gulab Kaur suffered two years imprisonment in Lahore.

PUNJABI LYRICISTS

NAND LAL NOORPURI

It’s the oft repeated, unheard story of a poet’s legacy, in the city he lived, amongst people who still look for him and those who don’t remember.Sourabh Gupta writes about Nand Lal Noorpuri, and his poetic spirit
On the night of May 13, 1966, in Model House Colony, Jalandhar, Gurbachan Dua, a young student, heard a loud splash from the well outside her house. She ventured out to have a look. Pair of slippers was lying beside the well. Horrified, she had a peek inside and shuddered.

The poet had committed suicide. This is account of old-timers of the locality. Punjabi poet Nand Lal Noorpuri, a free spirit, brought down by the times was no more.
His friend, Charanjit Punj, who had edited a book of his, had said in 1971 that Noorpuri was free spirit; fame was not his aspiration.
But yes, they said: “Noorpuri boleya, Punjab boleya”.
Another scholar Mohan Singh had claimed that the poet has refused to live with illness and penury.
Why Nand Lal Noorpuri decided to end his life, only the poet knew. The coming end was alluded to and reflected in many of his compositions just before his final walk.
“That night, grandfather woke my father, who was in his teens then, and asked him to recite a couplet from his ‘Bhola Panchi’. Then he went out, never to return again,” Inderjit Noorpuri, the grandson, recounts

“Ethon ud ja bholeya panchi,
Ve, tu apni jaan bacha.
Ethe, ghar-ghar phahian gaddian,
Ve tu chhurian heth na aa.
Ethe, dakke paen dopahr nu,
Tere aalhana denge, dah.
Ethe, jeharan bahr wich daniyan,
Teri ditti chog khanda.
Ethe chure walian rondian,
Gal vich zulfan paa.”

The poet’s younger son Satkartar Singh Noorpuri,
 grandson Inderjit Noorpuri and elder daughter-in-law. 
— Photo by S.S. Chopra


No one can fathom a poet’s fragile mind. For him death had become an inseparable part of living. Noorpuri heard the ‘bhola panchhi’ lines that he had written in context of another death, at another place, in another job.


 THE BEGINNING

Nand Lal was born at the beginning of the last century, in 1906 in Nurpur, district Lyallpur, now in Pakistan. At the Khalsa College in Layallpur, he got involved in the spirit of literature that would eventually provide him fame and ultimately lead to his demise.
Slowly at college, poetry won against studies and Nand Lal immersed himself into the varied hues of poetical compositions. He quit college and joined as a schoolteacher to earn a living.
This dichotomy of the need to earn a living and write poetry as a free spirit dogged him throughout his life. It also took him into other professions, but the need to write always won in the end. The job of a schoolmaster failed to fulfill the inner urges of the poet and he finally called it quits.
His next professional venture was as unlikely a venture could be for a sensitive poet. He joined the police force as assistant sub-inspector and the destination was Bikaner.
There three persons were shot dead by the police in an encounter. Nand Lal was leading the police party that was attacked by persons who were brewing liquor illegally.Police officer Noorpuri received a bravery award for it but it left an indelible mark on the poet Noorpuri.


POETRY TAKES OVER

In 1940, he left Bikaner to come back to Punjab and the poet in him took over completely. That year he wrote songs for the movie ‘Mangti’, launching his career as a film lyricist. Experimenting, he got into uncharted waters. He wrote an opera on the ill-fated lovers, ‘Mirza-Sahiban’,which has been irretrievably lost now. He got a contract with Colombia Film Company as a lyricist. He had fame and he got ample remunerations for doing what he wanted to do. What more could have a poet asked for.

CHANGE OF FATE
Destiny had something else in store for Noorpuri and India. Our Independence coincided with the biggest holocaust witnessed by the region. The partition changed everything for him. He lost his home and livelihood and came to Jalandhar, which would be his home for the next two decades. Sources of income dried up.
In the time of upheaval, poetic sensibilities were the last things on their minds. House and hearth took precedence over all else.
Noorpuri found work in the radio but the income was never enough for the family. Times had changed and how. He then got employment in the newly formed State Language Department. Poet’s nature again took over and he left the department after about two years.
He limited himself to the radio and kavi darbars for income, which was erratic and in fits and starts. Slowly, poverty increased its grip on Noorpuri and the family sunk deeper into it.Depression and suicidal thoughts followed. Noorpuri loved life and words. He wanted to write the thoughts churning in his mind. But the rigours of life, earning a livelihood were the ultimate winners.


FAMILY'S STRUGGLE
Life after the demise of the patriarch at 60 was never easy for the family. Noorpuri’s eldest son, Satnam Singh Noorpuri, the father of Inderjit, was given a job in the Punjab Roadways. The rough life made him an alcoholic and the liquor claimed his life in 1994. The other son, Satkartar Singh Noorpuri, refusing to put up with the hard times, migrated abroad. He now lives in Switzerland with his family.
The grandson continues to live under his famous grandfather’s shadow: the same city, the same locality and the same house (constructed over a small piece of land the state government gifted to the family).
The glory and the tragedy of Noorpuri’s life continue to haunt his next generation. Inderjit could not secure a job in his father’s department. “My mother and I kept going to the offices. We even met ministers. They promised us that something would be done. But nothing happened,” he says.Twenty seven-year-old Inderjit, married, with a child, now works as an employee on contract..He goes to work crossing a road named after his grandfather. He was there when the Chief Minister came to attend a function in the city. He will be there again.


NOORPURI SOCIETY
Some years back, a few scholars and journalists formed a Nand Lal Noorpuri Society. The aim, as they said, was to spread the poet’s golden words. Now, the society lives only in the annual award it gives to singers and poets. Early this year, it was singer Sarabjit Cheema for writing a poem against female foeticide.
It is hard to find the works of Noorpuri: in bookshops or college libraries. The ones exsiting are 20 to 30 year old : tattered, yellow and fragile. New publishers are not interested in taking out an anthology.
We found three books on Noorpuri’s poetry from the archives of the Lyallpur Khalsa College, the institution he once enrolled into when it was located in Lyallpur, now in Pakistan.
“He is being forgotten. He is absent from most syllabi,” Dr Satish K. Kapoor, Principal of the college, admitted.
On August 1, Mayor Surinder Mahey laid the foundation stone of a Nand Lal Noorpuri Yadgari Bhavan on the Model House road. The building will house a library of his works and will be built by the Municipal Corporation. Students from various schools were called to sing Nand Lal Noorpuri’s songs that day.
But as Charanjit Punj had written: “Even if we are to bound his books in gold, he won’t return.”

PEOPLE'S POET


When a poet secures the love of the people, when children in villages and towns sing his creations, when college text books discuss his contributions to Punjab’s poetic tradition, when film songs are composed on his words and singers like Mohammad Rafi and Surinder Kaur sing those lines, he also becomes a myth, for people who have neither met him nor known him. He refuses to be real.
Forty years have passed. The well that fatally attracted Noorpuri was filled up and a sapling planted over it, as a memorial. It has grown into a lush, heavy tree. As if the seed was words and the tree a breathing poem.
“Chal jiya ghar apne chaliye
na kar malan adiyan
eh pardesh desh nahi sadda
ethe gunjhalan bariyan.”


              ---Courtesy: tribuneindia

SIKH PAINTERS

PHOOLAN RANI

S.G Thakur Singh made an illustration on the collapse of the British system of slavery for the title page of Kirti, a paper, then edited by Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Com Sohan Singh Josh”. Many such interesting nuggets of information on art can be had from the octogenarian artist Phulan Rani. She is indeed a live-encyclopaedia of artists.
SG Thakur Singh, an admirer of Phulan Rani’s works, wrote in The Tribune on December 18, 1960, “Phulan Rani is Punjab’s well-known woman artist.” She started with pencil in 1945. She expressed the subtle and curious grace of the human form in linear patterns. Her prolific work has earned for her an exalted position in art.
Ms Poonam K. Sidhu, a senior IRS officer, while appreciating her works writes, “The depth and mystical touch of Phulan Rani’s brush has captured on canvas the very essence of various legends, parables and episodes that portray the lives of great Sikh Gurus.”

Phulan Rani was born on December 12, 1923, in a well-to-do middle class family of Bombay Wala Khuh, Amritsar. Her father, a medical practitioner of good standing and popular figure in the city, was a very indulgent father and did everything possible to cater to the aspiration of his children. Finding in her a strong propensity for fine arts, particularly painting, he was always there for her art. To her good luck, her husband was also a person of literary taste and had special love for fine arts. He helped to realise the artist in her.
Her father-in-law Kartar Sing Bumra, too, had an interest in painting. After her marriage when Sardarni Phoolan Rani made a painting, Kartar Singh Bumra was much impressed with it and he encouraged her with a cash prize of Rs 100. He also presented her a book. One of her paintings “Nartaki” was awarded the first prize in the Academy of Fine Arts. The great artist Soba Singh, who invited her at the picturesque Kangra valley, also encouraged her.
In September 1970, she visited the European countries and organised concerts in the universities under the title “Indian Ragas (melodies) through Music and Paintings”. These concerts that reflected the beauty of Indian culture were widely acclaimed abroad. It was a unique experiment that earned her lot of applauds from the West. One such painting, “Mundavni, a Raga of evening”, is about separation from the loved one and pangs of sorrow that tear the heart apart. Another painting “Bageshwari, the Raga of the night” symbolises the inborn longing of the soul to meet the eternal beloved like the yearning of the river to meet the sea.
While S.G. Thakur Singh who was born in 1899 at Verka, a suburban of Amritsar, had set up the Indian Academy of Fine Arts in 1931, Phulan Rani created her Arts Gallery in her palatial house in Ranjit Avenue spread over two acres. The land was allotted by the Beant Singh government in recognition to her contribution in the field of art.
As soon as you enter the Hall of Art Gallery you see the scenic beauty of Kangra Valley painted in water colour, Punjab folk life, Sohni, Mirza Sahiban, Shereen Farhad, Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha. The Art Gallery is the only museum in a house that has the largest collections of paintings and portraits of great writers like Bhai Vir Singh, poets like Prof Mohan Singh, artists like Amrita Sher Gill. It is acclaimed to be the only individual collection in India to have a mix of 500 miniature paintings of all the major schools of art — Pahari, Mughal, Chugtai, Bengal School of Art, Sikh Art.
While S.G. Thakur Singh never had proper education owing to family circumstances, Phulan Rani did her Masters in English literature and authored more than 200 books, especially for children, with the cooperation of her late husband Shamsher Singh, a poet himself. She claims that SG Thakur Singh was a regular visitor to her house. She describes SG Thakur Singh as “a darvesh”, and Sobha Singh, as “a great master of colours”.
Both SG Thakur Singh and Phulan Rani brought Amritsar on the international map of art. After the death of SG Thakur Singh on February 2nd, 1976, Phulan Rani has been carrying aloft the flame of art even at the age of 83. She has an amazing zest for life. She exercises for more than an hour and this gives her lot of energy. She does not forget to play billiard with her grandson Gurkirat Singh every morning!
The then President of India, Mr V.V. Giri, presented her “Sardar Mohan Singh Book Award” for distinguished work on Guru Nanak on October 23, 1970. Her book of painting titled, “Life of Guru Nanak through pictures” has been adjudged as one of the best books on the first Sikh Master. The book has since been translated into English Braille for the benefit of the visually handicapped and it has been distributed free all over the world.
In the latest issue of “The Northern Virginia Review” Constance Elsberg described Phulan Rani as an internationally-renowned woman artist. In the article, “A deeper reality: on the Punjabi painter Phulan Rani”, he writes, “I see the pieces of her life fitting together: her daughter’s music inspired her to paint interpretations of the Ragas they played on their instruments; her teaching led her to illustrate books for children; her love of stories led her both to paint scenes from Punjabi legends and to have children’s books translated. She agrees and adds that everything she does feeds her painting: art is a composite form of so many varied things that you feel and see all around you.”
At the time when Phulan visited Shantiniketan, she and her husband had just fled from Quetta in the wake of the violence associated with Partition. Phulan Rani, while very much aware of the sufferings created by Partition, never chose to depict those.

PUNJABI FOLK SINGERS

HAZARA SINGH RAMTA

Hazara Singh Ramta (b. August 1, 1926 -) is a Punjabi folk singer, Poet and Comedian. Ramta was born in Sahiwal, Pakistan. Though Hazara Singh Ramta is a born poet and an epitome of artistic faculties, he started his singing career in 1952 with All India Radio and HMV by broadcasting and recording his beautiful ghazals and hilarious songs.

SIKH HISTORIANS

KARAM SINGH HISTORIAN

Karam Singh (1884-1930), pioneer of Sikh research in Sikh history was born on 18 March 1884, the son of Jhanda Singh (a Dhillon Jat), and Mai Bhisan Kaur, at Jhabal village 15 km west of Tarn Taran in the Amritsar district of Punjab. The family that claimed descant from Bhai Langhah, a prominent Sikh contemporary of Guru Arjan dev ji and Guru Hargobind, later shifted to chakk no.29 Janubi in shahpur (sargodha) district where Jhanda Singh on his retirement as daffadar (sergeant) from risala awwal (first cavalry) was granted 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land in the newly opened lower Jhelum community. Having received his primary education at Jhabal, Karam singh attended the school village and went on to matriculate from the Khalsa collegiate school, Amritsar, and then joined the Khalsa college, but left before taking a degree, devoting himself to life’s passion-research in the history of Punjab. Karam singh, considered oral history an important tool of research, left his studies in December 1905, only four months before the final examinations for graduation immediately to meet some of the old men still living who had been witness to the happenings of the Punjab under Sikh rule, and record their testimony. In 1907 he made out plans to go to Mecca and Baghdad in order to gather information about Guru Nanak dev ji’s visit to those places for centuries earlier and joined a hajji party as a Muslim( for no non-Muslim could take that pilgrimage), but had to return from Baghdad
Karam Singh began publishing the results of his research. The traditionalists schools opposed his critical and scientific approach, this left the young historian no patronage and he found himself in financial strain. In his effort to be economically independent, he put to use his knowledge of ayurvedic (indigenous Indian) system of medicine and opened an apothecary’s shop, Sanyasi Ashram, at Sargodha. In 1910 one of his friends, Kavala Singh, took him to Patiala where with the help of Sardar (later Sir) Joginder Singh, then home minister of that state, was appointed state historian. He later wrote a biography of Baba Ala singh (1692-1765), the founder of Patiala state, and also prepared Punjabi readers for school children. In 1921-22 he took on lease fairly wide tract of land in Noya gaon in Nanital district of Uttar Pradesh where he experimented farming with the help of modern mechanical implements, but not at the cost of his research. He continued visiting public libraries at distant places such as Patiala, Budaun, Darbhangra, Aligarh and Calcutta, and took extensive notes from books and manuscripts bearing on Sikh history. A large number of these notes were published in Phulwari, a Punjabi journal, during 1926-1930. Singh edited the Sikh Itihas magazine edition of January 1930. On 22 December 1929, at a meeting held at Akal Takht, Amritsar established the Sikh Historical Society of which Karam singh historian (epithet popularly suffixed to his name) had been appointed secretary. At the same time the management of Khalsa College, Amritsar planned to set up a department of historical search under Karam singh historian. But he was taken ill with tuberculosis. In August 1930 he had a severe attack of malaria. He was removed from Naya gaon to Tarn Taran for treatment, but an attack of pneumonia soon after soon after reaching there hastened the end which came on September 1930. A work which marked a turning point in Sikh historiography and which is typically illustrative of Karam Singh's methods of analysis was his kattak ki visakh (n.d., republished, Patiala, 1912) in which he subjects the Janam sakhi materials to critical scrutiny and arrives at the conclusion that Guru Nanak Dev ji was born in the month of baisakh (April) and not, as not as traditionally believed, in kattak (October-November). Among his other published works besides numerous articles in phulwari are jivan britant banda bahadar (1907), jiwan srimati bibi sada kaur (1907), Jiwan britant maharaja ala singh (n.d., republished tarn Taran, 1918), bib harnam kaur (1907), Kes ati sikhi, Gurpurb nirnaya, Chitthian te prastav (1923), Banda kaun si and Amar khalsa (1932).The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak committee has brought out a collection of his works under the title Karam singh historian di itihasik khoj.

FAMILY
His father Sardar Jhanda singh worked as a tradesman besides being a Daffadar (Sergeant).
Singh was married three times. First he married to a woman of the village of Bhakna in Amritsar district of Punjab.. He had no children with his first spouse. He was then married to a woman of the village of Bohona near Moga in Punjab. They had three children. He was then married to Mata Prem kaur, a lady of the village of Maksoodra in Ludhiana district of Punjab, She died in 1926 leaving behind four sons.

A DETERMINED GENIUS
He was the sage of Punjab in his era. Blessed with power of doing untiring hard work, power of bearing all woes, and power of having a firm determination of serving his community. This reason that the renowned people of Punjab like Dhani Ram Chatrik,Bhai Veer singh,Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, Bhai Jodha Singh, Sardar Hira singh Dard, Sardar Jawala singh and the list goes abiding gave him tribute in the karam singh number fulwari (october 1930) . He once said “I have never ever considered the errors in my writings. Making my writings impressive and enriched with vocabulary is a talk of free time but my objective in life is to make a clear road of Sikh history in front of my readers. I am indulged in agriculture from dawn to dusk and after this to do language mistakes in my writings is a not a big deal.”
This reveals his virtue of humility that even after such good writings and his back breaking hard work he was so down to earth. Even today readers appreciate his work and many have followed his spontaneous style of writing. He has been known for his way of writing articles after the release of book Amar Khalsa. Worked as a historian, as a producer of ayurvedic medicine, as a painter, as an agriculturist where he produced new types of seeds he died at a very early age of 46 years but left behind immortal imprints in the people of the Punjab. Sikh community will always realize the absence of such a great devotee.

BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR

1
BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR


The last Mughal king, Bahadur Shah, better known as Bahadur Shah Zafar, was born in 1775 at Delhi. He was the son of Akbar Shah from his Hindu wife Lalbai. Bahadur Shah, after the death of his father, was placed on the throne in 1837 when he was little over 60 years of age. He was last in the lineage of Mughal emperors who ruled over India for about 300 years. Bahadur Shah Zafar, like his predecessors, was a weak ruler who came to throne when the British domination over India was strengthening and the Mughal rule was nearing its end. The British had curtailed the power and privileges of the Mughal rulers to such an extent that by the time of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal rule was confined to the Red Fort. Bahadur Shah Zafar was obliged to live on British pension, while the reins of real power lay in the hands of the East India Company.

During the reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Urdu poetry flourished and reached its zenith. He himself was a prolific poet and an accomplished calligrapher. He had acquired his poetic taste from his grandfather and father who were also poets. He passed most of his time in the company of poets and writers and was the author of four diwans. Love and mysticism were his favorite subjects that found expression in his poetry. Most of his poetry is full of pain and sorrow owing to the distress and degradation he had to face at the hands of the British. He was a great patron of poetry and literary work and some of the most eminent and famous Urdu poets like Mirza Ghalib, Zauk, Momin and Daagh were of his time.

A plaque proclaiming the end of the Mughal Dynasty

It was at the time of Bahadur Shah that the War of Independence in 1857 started. In Bahadur Shah Zafar the freedom fighters found the symbol of freedom and therefore nominated him as their Commander-in-Chief. In the initial stages, the freedom fighters were successful, but later on the strong and organized British forces defeated them. Bahadur Shah, who had been proclaimed as an emperor of whole of India, was overthrown. He was arrested from Humayun's tomb, in Delhi, where he was hiding with his three sons and a grandson. Captain Hodson killed his sons and grandson and their severed heads were brought before him. Bahadur Shah Zafar himself was tried for treachery. He was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma (now Myanmar), in 1858 where he lived his last five years and died in 1862 at the age of 87.

SIKH SAINTS

MAHANT 
TIRATH SINGH JI
 SEVAPANTHI


Mahant Tirath Singh Ji 'Seva Panthi' (February 12, 1925 - January 14th, 2008) was the 12th spiritual descendant of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji. He was a true saint and gnostic, and a soul of a very high order. He perceived the Almighty immanent in His creation and was always absorbed in Him. He was a very kind and generous humanitarian. He was extremely knowledgeable and his true genius showed in his spiritual and religious discourses. He was so imbued with Divine Love, that often during his spiritual discourses, while talking about Almighty God or the10 Gurus, or narrating a devotional story of the Bhagats, tears would well up in his eyes.

Mahant Sahib was a true practitioner of equity. When asked to assist in resolving matters of the Sikh Panth or by a member of the Sangat, he would present ideas that almost reminded one of the exactness of divine justice. It was no wonder that he was venerated by politicians, religious leaders, preachers, householders and accomplished professionals, alike.

He had a very soft corner for those in pain and would immediately ask his Sevadar to produce a copy of a particular shabad, or would recommend the recitation of a particular bani, or would perform an ardas. He had a kind for word for everyone he met and especially appreciated those that he recognized as having true devotion to Vaheguru and were truthful. That is why everyone who came to know him, in India or abroad, in the United Kingdom or the United States or elsewhere, honored him as a genuine 'parupkari'.

Early Life

Mahant Sahib was born on February 12, 1925 in the village Jandan Wala, in district Mianwali, in the North Western part of the Punjab province, now in Pakistan. He was born to Bhai Tara Singh, a well known devout Sikh of exemplary moral character, who had unwavering faith in the Gurbani, and who besides his Nitnem, would recite upwards of 5 Sukhmani Sahib paaths everyday.

Mahant Sahib, early in his childhood was enrolled in the local school where he was taught to read and write Urdu. He was an excellent student and an avid sportsman, especially excelling in Volley Ball. He then passed his Matriculation examination and the 'Gyani' studies, which is equivalent to a B.A.(Hons) in Punjabi, with honors.

His life took an uncommon turn at the age of 15. An honored saint Sant Bhai Asa Singh Ji visited his father, Bhai Tara Singh's home and while there, his kind eyes came to rest upon young Bhai Tirath Singh, who was at the time not keeping good health. Sant Bhai Asa Singh Ji who was always kindhearted and nurturing, asked Bhai Tara Singh if he could take Bhai Tirath Singh with him to his Dharamsala at Noorpur. He promised to take care of him.

So with his father's consent, Bhai Tirath Singh came to Noorpur and was presented to then Mahant of the dharamsala, Mahant Bhai Gulab Singh Ji. Sant Bhai Asa Singh Ji requested Mahant Gulab Singh Ji to take this exceptional young man under his wing and to bring him up. At the Noorpur Seva Panthi asthan, young Bhai Tirath Singh ji learnt Gurbani, memorized several Banis, continued advancing his education and learnt the protocols, mannerisms and traditions of the dharamsala.

There he met and was inspired by many prominent Sadhus, who gave his life a spiritual meaning and helped him to imbibe the Divine Word, equity, and the spirit of rendering humanitarian service. He learned how to practice celibacy, modesty and purity. In addition, there was an unending flow of religious scholars, theologists, poets and raagis, who would come to the Dharamsala to meet with with Mahant Gulab Singh Ji.

These new associations and contacts molded his thoughts giving him new insight into the spiritual, religious, social and practical aspects of life. His perception of things, distinguishing right from wrong, truth from untruth, reality from falsehood, changed dramatically. He was able to discern the beauty of righteousness from the ugliness of false ego and illusory Maya. Divine truths were being revealed to him and he now began to understand the path before him. Imbued with Divine love, he soon decided to follow the Gurmat Maryada and the ways of pure and holy souls around him.

Induction into the 'Seva Panthis'

Seeing young Bhai Tirath Singh evolve into a pious soul, Mahant Gulab Singh Ji, prophesized that he would acquire more knowledge and spiritual wisdom and that one day he will shine like a bright star and will be known for his great spirituality and divine knowledge. He will also enlighten the sangat with discourses from the Gurbani and provide them with practical insights on how to live a life of purity as taught by the scriptures.

On one occasion, while Mahant Bhai Jawahar Singh Ji of the Mitha Tiwana Seva Panthi dera was visiting, he foretold that young Bhai Tirath Singh will be initiated into the Seva Panthi fold by Sant Bhai Asa Singh Ji and under his discipleship he will be establish several educational, charitable and religious institutions. All of these prophecies came true and dozens of institutions, large and small, were founded and subsequently flourished under the leadership and benevolent guidance of Mahant Tirath Singh Ji.

Mahant Gulab Singh Ji and Mahant Jawahar Singh Ji arranged for young Bhai Tirath Singh to attend Gurmat Taksal at Dera Sant Bhai Amir Singh, Satto Wali Gali, Amritsar, to learn etymological annotation, philology and Gurbani grammmar from Sant Amir Singh Ji Seva Panthi, who was the most well renowned scholar and annotator of Sikh Scriptures of his time. He also was introduced to and later lived with Sant Bhai Nischal Singh Ji, the first President of the All India Seva Panthi Addan Shahi Sabha, Amritsar, and acquired a good deal of theological knowledge and experience from him.

After the partition of India, Mahant Bhai Gulab Singh Ji, brought everyone to East Punjab where in 1950 he established the Noorpur Dera, known as Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji at Goniana Mandi, Bathinda. Soon after Mahant Gulab Singh passed away giving the reins of the Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji to Mahant Bhai Asa Singh Ji. Mahant Bhai Asa Singh Ji continued preaching the Gurbani to the sangats in India and following in the footsteps of Mahant Gulab Singh Ji, he became a very influential personality within the Sikh Panth, brilliantly continuing his work.

After rendering a distinquished service of 23 years, Mahant Asa Singh Ji decided to hand over the reigns to a successor. In 1973, he had three disciples, Sant Bhai Tirath Singh, Sant Bhai Kahan Singh and Sant Bhai Harpal Singh. Sant Bhai Kahan Singh passed most of his time in the attendance of his master, Mahant Asa Singh Ji, while Sant Bhai Tirath Singh Ji mostly attended to missionary duties outside the Tikana, preaching Gurbani all over India. Both were very close to Mahant Ji's heart and he showered blessings upon them equally. When the situation for succession arose, both disciples suggested that the other be chosen for this great honor.

Mahant Asa Singh Ji finally chose Sant Bhai Tirath Singh to succeed him on on Jan 14, 1974, at a huge gathering at the Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji, in the presence of several eminent Seva Panthi Sadhus and Sadhus of other Sampradas, Mahant Asa Singh Ji performed the Tilak ceremony, and anointed Sant Bhai Tirath Singh as the Mahant of the Tikana, at the age of 47.

Mahant Sahib being a true philanthropist, accomplished an immense amount in his lifetime, started and supported numerous prestigious institutions in the field of education, medicine, social welfare and the upliftment of the poor.

On the evening of January 14th, 2008, upon receiving a call from Vaheguru, after entertaining a crowd of almost 55000-60000 people at the Tikana Sahib, after celebrating the birth anniversary of Baba Jagta Ji, distributing gifts to the Sangat, anointing his successor by performing the Tilak ceremony, he saw the last members of the sangat leave and almost as if by design, departed this world to go and sit on his appointed seat besides the Almighty Vaheguru.

Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji

Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji, Goniana Mandi, Bathinda is the head quarters of all Seva Panthi Tikanas. There are 40 such Tikanas in North India. Mahant Baba Tirath Singh Ji was the President of the Seva Panthi Addan Shahi Society (Regd.) Amritsar and the chief Sarparasth of Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Sahib. He chose Mahant Baba Kahan Singh Ji, the current Chief Sarparasth of the Tikana Sahib, to succeed him as the 13th spiritual descendant of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji.

The Tikana Sahib complex is home to many institutions like, Bhai Kanhaiya Charitable Hospital, Mahant Asa Singh Girls College, Mahant Asa Singh College of Computer Science, Mata Tripta Charitable Trust (Free knitting and Tailoring Center), Free Eye Clinic, Free Dental Clinic, Turban Tying Teaching Center, Seva Jyoti Monthly Magazine, which has a monthly circulation of 14,000 copies, which are mailed free of charge to cities in India, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and Bhai Jagta Ji Model High School.

The Tikana Sahib has about 100 rooms with attached bathrooms for travellers and visitors, an elaborate museum, two huge Divan Halls and 2 large Langar Halls. Under the auspices of the Mahant of the Tikana Sahib, are the following additional institutions, namely, Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Abohar, Dukhniwaran Education and Medical Trust, Patiala, which includes a Heart Institute, Guru Tegh Bahadur Medical College, Ludhiana, Guru Nanak Girls College, Yamunanagar, Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa Polytechnic, Malout, Sant Nischal Singh Public School, a top boarding school, Yamunanagar, Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Bathinda, ten branches of Bhai Jagta Ji High School, Saint Soldier Public School, Jaipur, Mahant Gopal Singh College of Competitions, Patiala and Bhai Mani Singh Educational Trust(Regd.) Ludhiana.

Literary Works

Mahant Sahib spent his entire life studying Sikh scriptures and performing katha in gurdwaras all over the world. He showed his typically wonderful generosity in writing several books like the famous 'Jap Bodh' and exegesis on Sidh Gosht and Asa Di Var and even had his Katha on Japji recorded and distributed all the materials free of cost all over the world. His katha on Japji Sahib was acclaimed worldwide by the most learned of Sikh scholars and Sikhs all over the world clamored to get a hold of the 12 CD set. This Katha is now available on the internet on sites like gurmatveechar.org, gurbaniupdesh.org and proudtobesikh.com.