ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BAHILO BH&#256&#298 (1553-1643)</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="BAHILO,BH*,Person,Person"> <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">&#65279BAHILO, BH&#256&#298 (1553-1643), a Siddh&#363 Ja&#7789&#7789 of the village of Phaph&#7771e, in present-day Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 district of the Punjab, and a prominent Sikh of his time. He was originally a follower of Sult&#257n Sakh&#299 Sarwar and a local priest of that semi-Muslim sect of Sult&#257n&#299&#257s or Sarwar&#299&#257s. In 1583, he visited Amritsar at the invitation of Gur&#363 Arjan. Bahilo was converted the moment he saw the Gur&#363. He cast away the symbols of his former faith and received the rites of initiation at the hands of Gur&#363 Arjan. His devotion was now addressed to Ak&#257l, the Timeless One. He dedicated the labour of his hands to the excavation of the holy tank and construction of the Harimandar, then in progress at Amritsar. He supervised the baking of bricks in a kiln and carried on his head basketfuls of earth dug from the site. However heavy the load upon his head, Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo's eyes, says Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363r&#257j Granth</i>, always remained fixed on the Gur&#363. Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo's piety and self-abnegating service were lauded by the Gur&#363 as well as by Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo's descendants continue to live in Phaph&#7771e. They are known as Bh&#257&#299ke, i. e. of or belonging to the Bh&#257&#299. Even the village is commonly known as Bh&#257&#299ke Phaph&#7771e. There are some relics - a few garments, a gold coin and a dagger - which the family claims to have been bestowed by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh upon one of their ancestors, Bh&#257&#299 Des R&#257j. Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo was a considerable poet. At least eight old manuscripts containing verse attributed to him are still extant. Most of them are transcriptions made in 1850 by one Pañj&#257b Si&#7749gh, a descendant of Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1926-37<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Satib&#299r Si&#7749gh, <i>Partakhu Hari</i>. Jalandhar, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">T&#257ran Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>