ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HIND&#256L (HAND&#256L) BH&#256&#298 (d. 1648)</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="HINDL,HANDL,BH*"> <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">&#65279HIND&#256L (HAND&#256L), BH&#256&#298 (d. 1648), a prominent Sikh of the time of Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s, was the son of G&#257j&#299, a resident of Ja&#7751&#7693i&#257l&#257, 19 km east of Amritsar. His mother's name was Sukkh&#299. He was married to Uttam&#299, daughter of Hamz&#257, a Chahal ja&#7789&#7789. He received initiation at the hands of Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s and continued to be in attendance upon his successor, Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s. He spoke but little, and remained absorbed in devotion. As he once sat kneading flour in the Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar, Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s suddenly stepped in. Hind&#257l rose instinctively to make his obeisance. Since the wet flour was adhering to his hands, he, as says <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, put them behind his back so that they did not smear the Gur&#363's feet when he touched them, and threw himself at his feet. The Gur&#363 was pleased with his humble devotion. "Thy love is pleasing to my heart, Hind&#257l, " he said. "Thou hast my blessing. Completed is thy service. Return now to thy native town and spread the True Name." Hind&#257l went back to Ja&#7751&#7693i&#257l&#257 and began to preach as instructed by the Gur&#363. He lived to a ripe old age and remained a true Sikh to the end. As a preacher he had made many disciples who were called Hind&#257l&#299&#257s or Nirañjan&#299&#257s, i.e. the unsullied ones. However, after his death the Hind&#257l&#299&#257s became an heretic sect under his son, Bidh&#299 Chand, who compiled a <i>granth</i> and a <i>janam s&#257kh&#299</i> of his own. In both he sought to exalt Hind&#257l and belittle Gur&#363 N&#257nak. In the eighteenth century, the Nirañjan&#299&#257s helped the government in persecuting Sikhs. Haribhagat Nirañjan&#299&#257 of Ja&#7751&#7693i&#257l&#257 was a notorious informer who caused the arrest and execution of countless Sikhs. Among them were Bh&#257&#299 T&#257r&#363 Si&#7749gh and Mat&#257b Si&#7749gh M&#299r&#257&#7749ko&#7789&#299&#257.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-33<BR> <li class="C1"> Bha&#7749g&#363, Ratan Si&#7749gh, <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Amritsar, 1914<BR> <li class="C1"> V&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Ash&#7789gur Chamatk&#257r</i>. Amritsar, 1971<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurdev Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>