ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AKH&#256&#7770&#256</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="AKHZ"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279AKH&#256&#7770&#256, from Sanskrit <i>ak&#7779p&#257l&#257</i> or <i>ak&#7779v&#257l&#257</i> meaning stage or theatre or arena, is in common use a sectarian monastery, seminary or seat of Hindu anchorites such as Sanny&#257s&#299s and Bair&#257g&#299s and Sikh ascetics, Ud&#257s&#299s and Nirmal&#257s. Located at prominent places of pilgrimage, they provide facilities for board and lodging to inmates as well as to travellers. They also serve as centres of study and training for neophytes. Whereas Sanny&#257s&#299 and Bair&#257g&#299 <i>akh&#257&#7771&#257s</i> had existed at various places since ancient times, it was Mahant Pr&#299tam D&#257s Nirb&#257n (1753-1831), an Ud&#257s&#299 saint, who first conceived the idea of establishing separate <i>akh&#257&#7771&#257s</i> for Ud&#257s&#299s. During his travels in South India, he persuaded N&#257nak Chand, uncle of D&#299w&#257n Chand&#363 L&#257l of Hyder&#257b&#257d state, to make a donation of money for this purpose. This led to the setting up of the Pañch&#257it&#299 Central Akh&#257&#7771&#257 of Ud&#257s&#299s in 1779 at Pray&#257g (All&#257h&#257b&#257d), with branches at several other pilgrimage centres. Two years later, Mahant Pr&#299tam D&#257s founded Nirb&#257n Akh&#257&#7771&#257, popularly called Sa&#7749galv&#257l&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, at Amritsar, of which he himself was the head. Some other Ud&#257s&#299 saints also set up their own <i>akh&#257&#7771&#257s</i> around the Darb&#257r S&#257hib complex at Amritsar. Many of them were taken over by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee as the agitation for Gurdw&#257r&#257 reform got under way during the 1920's. The latest one was Brahm B&#363&#7789&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 acquired towards the end of the 1980's. Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib (Bh&#257&#299 Pher&#363) branch of Ud&#257s&#299 Sikhs had established a separate central institution at Kankhal, near Haridv&#257r, in 1839. It was named Sr&#299 Guru Nay&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 Ud&#257s&#299&#7749, but is popularly known as Ud&#257s&#299&#257&#7749 d&#257 Chho&#7789&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nirmal&#257 Sikhs also established their own central <i>akh&#257&#7771&#257</i> in 1862 at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 with funds provided by the rulers of Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 states of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd (<i>See</i> NIRMAL PAÑCH&#256IT&#298 AKH&#256&#7770&#256). Named Dharam Dhuj&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, it is still in existence with branches at several towns throughout north India including those at Haridv&#257r, Kankhal, All&#257h&#257b&#257d, Ujjain, N&#257sik and Kurukshetra. The central (Pañch&#257it&#299) Akh&#257&#7771&#257 of Nirmal&#257 Sikhs is now located at Kankhal.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Mohinder Si&#7749gh Gill<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>