ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BUL&#256K&#298 D&#256S</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="BULK*,DS"> <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">&#65279BUL&#256K&#298 D&#256S was the <i>masand</i> or head of the Sikh <i>sa&#7749gat</i>, at Dhaka, now capital of Bangladesh, during the third quarter of the seventeenth century. Dhaka had been visited by Gur&#363 N&#257nak at the beginning of the sixteenth century when a <i>sa&#7749gat</i> had emerged in the town. During the time of Gur&#363 Hargobind, a Sikh, Bh&#257&#299 Mohan, had kept the Gur&#363's message alive there. Bh&#257&#299 Natth&#257, third in succession to Almast, the Ud&#257s&#299 saint, who had been sent by Gur&#363 Hargobind to preach in the eastern parts, had been deputed to supervise the <i>sa&#7749gats</i> or Sikh fellowships or communities in Bengal. When Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur visited Bengal in 1666-67, Bul&#257k&#299 D&#257s was in charge of the Dh&#257k&#257 <i>sa&#7749gat</i>. His old mother, a devout lady, had long wished to receive and behold the Gur&#363. She had a seat especially designed for him, and had also stitched garments of homespun cotton which she longed to present to him in person. Her heart's wish was fulfilled when upon reaching Dhaka Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur went straight to her house, and sat on the couch and received the offerings. Bul&#257k&#299 D&#257s and the <i>sa&#7749gats</i> served Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur with devotion. Before he departed, the old lady had another request to make. She requested him to let a likeness of his to be painted. The Gur&#363 acceded to her request. He told Bul&#257k&#299 D&#257s to have a <i>dharams&#257l&#257</i> raised in town. The <i>dharams&#257l&#257</i>, named Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sa&#7749gat &#7788ol&#257, still exists in a street named after it.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Later, in 1670, when he learnt that Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur had left for the Punjab asking his family to follow him, Bul&#257k&#299 D&#257s sent a gilded palanquin from Dhaka to Pa&#7789n&#257 for use by the young Gobind R&#257i, later Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. Once he also travelled to Anandpur to pay homage to Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur. He lived to a ripe old age, and his name appears as one of the leading Sikhs of Dhaka in a letter (<i>hukamn&#257m&#257</i>) Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh addressed to the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> there in 1691, although he had by then been replaced as <i>masand</i> by Bh&#257&#299 Hul&#257s Chand.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, ed. , <i>Hukamn&#257me</i>. Patiala, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Bhall&#257, Sar&#363p D&#257s, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> <li class="C1"> Trilochan Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur. Delhi</i>, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur</i>. Delhi, 1982<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">A. C. Banerjee<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>