ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>KANHAIY&#256 BH&#256&#298 (1648-1718)</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="KANHAIY,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">&#65279KANHAIY&#256, BH&#256&#298 (1648-1718), founder of the Sev&#257panth&#299 or A&#7693&#7693a&#7751sh&#257h&#299 sect of the Sikhs, was born in a Dhamman Khatr&#299 family of Sodhar&#257 near Waz&#299r&#257b&#257d in Si&#257lko&#7789 district (now in Pakistan). His father was a wealthy trader, but he himself being of a religious bent of mind left home when still very young and roamed about with <i>s&#257dh&#363s</i> and ascetics in search of spiritual peace. His quest ended as he met Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur (1621-75) and accepted initiation at his hands. Kanhaiy&#257 established a <i>dharams&#257l</i> at Kavh&#257 village in the present A&#7789&#7789ock district of Pakistan which he turned into a preaching centre. His special mission was selfless service of humanity with no distinction of nationality, caste or creed. In 1705, he was on a visit to Anandpur when Anandpur was invested by a combination of hill troops and the imperial army. During the frequent sallies and skirmishes, Bh&#257&#299 Kanhaiy&#257 used to roam around serving water to the wounded and the dying without distinction of friend and foe. Some Sikhs complained to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh that Kanhaiy&#257 had been resuscitating the fallen enemy soldiers. As Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh summoned Bh&#257&#299 Kanhaiy&#257 and told him what the Sikhs had said, he spoke, "Yes, my Lord, what they said is true in a sense, but I saw no Mu<u>gh</u>als or Sikhs in the battlefield; I only saw the Gur&#363's face in everyone." The Gur&#363, pleased with the reply, blessed him and told his Sikhs that Kanhaiy&#257 had understood his teaching correctly.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After the evacuation of Anandpur, Bh&#257&#299 Kanhaiy&#257 retired to Sodhar&#257 where he died in 1718.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> L&#257l Chand, <i>Sr&#299 Sant M&#257l&#257</i>. Patiala, 1955<BR> <li class="C1"> Gurmukh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sev&#257panth&#299&#257&#7749 d&#299 Pañjab&#299 S&#257hit n&#363&#7749 De&#7751</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh Padam<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>