ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>DAY&#256 SI&#7748GH BH&#256&#298 (1661-1708)</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="DAY,SIDGH,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">&#65279DAY&#256 SI&#7748GH, BH&#256&#298 (1661-1708), one of the Pañj Pi&#257re or the Five Beloved celebrated in the Sikh tradition, was the son of Bh&#257&#299 Suddh&#257, a Sobt&#299 Khatr&#299 of Lahore, and M&#257&#299 Di&#257l&#299. His original name was Day&#257 R&#257m. Bh&#257&#299 Suddh&#257 was a devout Sikh of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur and had visited Anandpur more than once to seek his blessing. In 1677, he travelled to Anandpur along with his family including his young son, Day&#257 R&#257m, to make obeisance to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, this time to settle there permanently. Day&#257 R&#257m, already well versed in Punjabi and Persian, engaged himself in the study of classics and <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>. He also received training in the use of weapons. In the historic <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> in the Kesga&#7771h Fort at Anandpur on 30 March 1699, he was the first to rise at the Gur&#363's call and offer his head, followed by four others in succession. These five were the first to be admitted to the fold of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 and they in turn administered the rites of initiation to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh who called them collectively Pañj Pi&#257re. Day&#257 R&#257m after initiation became Day&#257 Si&#7749gh. Although the five enjoyed equal status as the Gur&#363's close confidants and constant attendants, Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh was always regarded as the first among equals. He took part in the battles of Anandpur, and was one of the three Sikhs who followed Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh out of Chamkaur on the night of 7-8 December 1705, eluding the besieging hordes. He was Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's emissary sent from the village of D&#299n&#257 in the Punjab to deliver his letter which became famous as <i>Zafarn&#257mah</i>, the Letter of Victory, to Emperor Aura&#7749gz&#299b, then camping at Ahmadnagar. Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh, accompanied by Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh, another of the Pañj Pi&#257re, reached Ahmadnagar via Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d, but found that it was not possible to have access to the Emperor and deliver to him the letter personally as Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh had directed. Day&#257 Si&#7749gh sent Dharam Si&#7749gh back to seek the Gur&#363's advice, but before the latter could rejoin him with fresh instructions, he had managed to have the letter delivered, and had himself returned to Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d. A shrine called Gurdw&#257r&#257 Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh marks the place of his sojourn in Dh&#257m&#299 Mahall&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh and Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh returned and, according to Sikh tradition, they rejoined Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh at Kal&#257yat, a town 52 km southwest of B&#299k&#257ner (280-4'N, 730-21'E) in R&#257jasth&#257n. Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh remained in attendance upon the Gur&#363 and was with him at the time of his death at N&#257nde&#7693 on 7 October 1708. He died at N&#257nde&#7693 soon after and a joint memorial there for him and for Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh known as A&#7749g&#299&#7789ha (lit. burning pyre) Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh <i>ate</i> Dharam Si&#7749gh marks the site of their cremation.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh was a learned man. One of the Rahitn&#257m&#257s, manuals on Sikh conduct, is ascribed to him. The Nirmal&#257s, a sect of Sikh schoolmen, claim him as one of their forebears. Their &#7692araul&#299 branch traces its origin to Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh through B&#257b&#257 D&#299p Si&#7749gh.</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"> Kuir Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurbil&#257s P&#257tsh&#257h&#299 10</i>. Patiala, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> Chhibbar, Kesar Si&#7749gh, <i>Ba&#7749s&#257val&#299n&#257m&#257 Das&#257&#7749 P&#257tsh&#257h&#299a&#7749 K&#257</i>. Chandigarh, 1972<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Si&#7749gh, <i>A History of the Sikhs</i>, vol. I. Princeton, 1963<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Gobind Singh</i>. Chandigarh, 1966<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>