ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>KH&#256LS&#256 UPDESHAK MAH&#256VIDY&#256L&#256 GHARJ&#256KH</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 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">&#65279<u>KH</u>&#256LS&#256 UPDESHAK MAH&#256VIDY&#256L&#256, GHARJ&#256KH, a training institution for Sikh preachers, was established in 1901 by Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, now in Pakistan. The Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, formed in 1888 and affiliated to the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n Lahore, played an important role in the educational and social awakening of Punjabi Sikhs. Already it had opened a <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High School, one of the first of its kind, in 1889, and a girls school, Istr&#299 P&#257&#7789hsh&#257l&#257, in 1895. Its leaders next decided to provide another institution designed to meet the needs of Sikhs for religious education. Although Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257s attempted to reach the masses with ideals of reform, the paucity of preachers trained in history and religion proved a handicap. The Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, therefore, set up a <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Updeshak School on 5 April 1901. With just five students to start with, Bh&#257&#299 L&#257l Si&#7749gh was appointed its manager and Sundar Si&#7749gh its headmaster. The school rapidly grew in popularity. However, as it often happens when two or more schools rely on the same constituency for finances, the High school and the Updeshak school soon became caught up in competition. In an attempt to minimize party bickering, S&#257dh&#363 Si&#7749gh, extra assistant commissioner and a prominent Sikh leader, intervened in August 1902 and worked out a compromise whereby the administration of both institutions was transferred to the committee originally in charge of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High School. But the arrangement did not work, and the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High School committee decided on 15 December 1903 to neglect the interests of the younger institution.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The necessity for training Sikhs in preaching and missionary work nevertheless remained, and fortunately the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 of Gharj&#257kh, a large village located close to Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, came to the rescue of the students and the faculty. Already running a <i>granth&#299</i> class, this Sabh&#257 merged it with the Updeshak school on 15 January 1904 and appointed Bh&#257&#299 L&#257l Si&#7749gh and Gi&#257n&#299 Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh as joint teachers. The local <i>dharams&#257l&#257</i> and the garden of Sard&#257r Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh were utilized for other facilities.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The subsequent history of the Gharj&#257kh Updeshak Vidy&#257l&#257 reflects the manner in which Sikhs developed an institution and then broadened it, as necessary, to meet a variety of needs. Outbreaks of famine and plague had left Hindu and Sikh children orphans vulnerable to Muslim and Christian proselytization. Sikhs of Gharj&#257kh responded to an appeal by Sant S&#363raj Si&#7749gh made on 30 March 1904, and added an orphanage to the School, renamed <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Updeshak School <i>ate</i> Yat&#299m<u>kh</u>&#257n&#257 (orphanage). The <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Dharams&#257l&#257 thus became a home for the destitute children, managed by Jagat Si&#7749gh, a retired havild&#257r, and his wife.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Students and staff rapidly became involved in a widening range of religious activity. In addition to performing daily <i>k&#299rtan</i> at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Dharams&#257l&#257 in the morning and R&#257mga&#7771h&#299&#257 Dharams&#257l&#257 in the evening, on every <i>p&#363ranm&#257sh&#299</i> (full-moon day) they enriched the worship services at Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ro&#7771&#299 S&#257hib, Emin&#257b&#257d. The school also helped form an Amrit Prach&#257r Jath&#257 or a group to administer the Sikh rites of initiation. Teams toured far-flung villages in Lyallpur, Si&#257lko&#7789 and Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 districts impressing upon the Sikh youth the importance of <i>amrit</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The institution grew and prospered. The school became the Updeshak Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257, or college, with classes designed to prepare students for University examinations in Gi&#257n&#299 and Vidw&#257n. On 23 February 1907, Sant Atar Si&#7749gh laid the foundation-stone of a new building of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Updeshak Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257. Although the buildings and the reputation of the Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257 continued to expand, the institution was handed over to the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Amritsar, at the first session of the Sikh Educational Conference which took place at Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 on 18-19 April 1908. The move was intended to set an example for centralizing all Sikh educational ventures and thereby ensuring Panthic unity. The first president of the sub-committee of the D&#299w&#257n in charge of the Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257, Ka&#7749var Prith&#299p&#257l Si&#7749gh, served for several years. Other patrons of the school included Ma&#7749gal Si&#7749gh M&#257n, Gurmukh Si&#7749gh, an engineer by profession, Dr Mah&#257&#7749 Si&#7749gh, T&#299rath Si&#7749gh, Dharam Si&#7749gh and Chhahabar Si&#7749gh. Sant Atar Si&#7749gh continued his close association and frequently visited the Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257. After a decade of planning and hard work, a beautiful three-storeyed <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> was opened on its premises.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The M&#257h&#257vidy&#257l&#257 had three major components. The School held classes up to the fifth standard with Punjabi as the medium of instruction. After the fifth class, students could either pursue further academic studies or enroll in vocational training. There were arrangements for Gi&#257n&#299 and Vidw&#257n classes as well as for music training for <i>r&#257g&#299s</i>. Besides preparing students for University examinations in Punjabi, the academic programme included obligatory courses in <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, Sikh theology, and history. The third element, vocational training, included tailoring and weaving.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Gharj&#257kh Updeshak Mah&#257vidy&#257l&#257 <i>ate</i> Yat&#299m<u>kh</u>&#257n&#257, a singular institution providing service to the Sikh community in particular and to orphans in general, continued until 1947 when partition of the country uprooted it. It was not revived in independent India.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, Sant, <i>J&#299van Kath&#257 Gurmukh Pi&#257re Sant Atar Si&#7749gh J&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh, <i>Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 Lahir</i>. Ludhiana, 1974<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>