ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>LAKHB&#298R SI&#7748GH SANT (1860-1935)</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="LAKHB*R,SIDGH,SANT,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">&#65279LAKHB&#298R SI&#7748GH, SANT (1860-1935), a convert to Sikhism, was born Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh to Muslim parents, Natth&#363 and Basr&#299, at Bak&#257pur, a small village about 3 km from Phillaur, in the Punjab, which became the site of a big Sikh convention at the advent of the twentieth century. Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh had a religious bent of mind from the very beginning. This disturbed his family, who, to detract him from his lonely ways, married him to a girl, named J&#299ndo, when he was barely twelve. At the age of 15, Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh's quest for spiritual company took him to a Sikh saint, Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hl&#257 Si&#7749gh of Ba&#7749g&#257, in Jalandhar district. He spent two years at his feet. After Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hl&#257 Si&#7749gh's death, Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh sought solace in the service of his disciple, Bh&#257&#299 D&#363l&#257 Si&#7749gh of &#7788h&#257kurv&#257l, in Hoshi&#257rpur district. For twelve years he presented himself once every week in the holy <i>sa&#7749gat</i> at &#7788h&#257kurv&#257l, about 30 km away from his village.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh took up appointment as a Persian teacher in a school at Phillaur. He spent most of his time reciting <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i> from memory. He used to welcome the Sikhs with the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 salutation, <i>V&#257higur&#363 j&#299 k&#299 Fateh</i>, and made regular visits to Amritsar to bathe in the sacred pool. Gradually, his wife was also converted to his way of life and it is said that he established conjugal relations with her only after he was convinced of her faith in Sikhism.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The story of Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh's interest in Sikhism reached the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, Bhasau&#7771, in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state, through Bh&#257&#299 Ta<u>kh</u>t Si&#7749gh of F&#299rozpur. The Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 decided to fulfil his wish and convert to Sikhism the Bak&#257pur family at its annual <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> of 1901, but it had to give up the plan owing to the outbreak of the plague epidemic. Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh attended the annual <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> of the Sikhs at Bhasau&#7771 in 1902, but had to return empty-handed owing to a controversy that had arisen.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Bhasau&#7771 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 sent its emissaries --- Bh&#257&#299 Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh of Mai&#7749ga&#7751, Sard&#257r Bishan Si&#7749gh and Bh&#257&#299 Ta<u>kh</u>t Si&#7749gh --- to visit Bak&#257pur by turn and assure Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh that his heart's wish must be fulfilled. Finally, B&#257b&#363 Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, the secretary of the Sabh&#257, went himself. At Bak&#257pur, he learnt that Maulaw&#299 Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh's wife had passed away less than a week earlier and that the last rites had been performed strictly in accordance with the Sikh custom. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib was kept with reverence in a room in the house and the Sikh <i>k&#299rtan</i> was performed daily.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On return, B&#257b&#363 Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh issued a public notice signifying that a <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> would be convened in the village of Bak&#257pur on 13-14 June 1903. The letter was sent on behalf of the Bhasau&#7771 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 to important Sikh societies and individuals inviting them to participate in the proceedings. The letter included a note on the Bak&#257pur family and its zeal for the Sikh faith. The invitation, widely circulated, evoked a warm response. On the appointed day, batches of Sikhs converged on Bak&#257pur from places such as Lahore, Amritsar, Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, Ka&#7789&#257n&#299, N&#257ra&#7749gv&#257l and Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To conduct the initiation ceremonies, the five Pi&#257r&#257s (or the Gur&#363's Beloved) designated were Bh&#257&#299 Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299 Ta<u>kh</u>t Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299 Basant Si&#7749gh of Bapp&#299&#257&#7751&#257 (Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state), Bh&#257&#299 Sohan Si&#7749gh of Gujjar<u>kh</u>&#257n and Bh&#257&#299 Amar Si&#7749gh of R&#257j&#257 Ghuman. Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh, then a student at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar, was named <i>granth&#299</i> for the ceremonies.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Maulaw&#299 Kar&#299m Ba<u>kh</u>sh, then 43, was named Lakhb&#299r Si&#7749gh after initiation. His four sons Rukan D&#299n, 15, Fateh D&#299n, 12, <u>Gh</u>ul&#257m Muhammad, 6 and <u>Kh</u>air D&#299n, 4, became Mat&#257b Si&#7749gh, Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh, Harn&#257m Si&#7749gh and Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh, respectively. His daughter B&#299b&#299 N&#363r&#257&#7749, 9, was given the Sikh name of Vary&#257m Kaur. Lakhb&#299r Si&#7749gh won wide esteem in the Sikh community as Sant Lakhb&#299r Si&#7749gh. His son, Mat&#257b Si&#7749gh, founded a society called the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Bar&#257dar&#299 and played a pioneer role in the Ak&#257l&#299 campaign for the reformation of the Sikh sacred places.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh, <i>Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 Lahir</i>. Ludhiana, 1974<BR> <li class="C1"><i>V&#299r Sudh&#257r Pattar: arth&#257t Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 Bhasau&#7771 de a&#7789hme te naume s&#257l&#257ne d&#299v&#257n d&#257 si&#7789&#7789&#257</i>. Bhasaur, 1903<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>