ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MAHIT&#256B SI&#7748GH MAHANT (1811-1871)</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="MAHITB,SIDGH,MAHANT,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">&#65279MAHIT&#256B SI&#7748GH, MAHANT (1811-1871), founder Sr&#299 Mahant (head) of Sr&#299 Nirmal Pañch&#257it&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, was born in 1811 in a Ja&#7789&#7789 Sikh family of the village of Lehal Kal&#257&#7749, now in Sa&#7749gr&#363r district in the Punjab. He learnt to read Punjabi in his village and gained fluency in reciting the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. Losing both his parents within an year when he was scarcely sixteen, Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh left home to visit places of pilgrimage. As he reached V&#257r&#257&#7751as&#299, he was taken up with the idea of learning Sanskrit. He remained there for nearly 14 years studying philosophy, logic and grammar. He then resumed his travels and, visiting Pa&#7789n&#257 and N&#257nde&#7693, came to Haridv&#257r where he became a disciple of Sant Dharam Si&#7749gh, of Riskh&#299kesh, engaging himself in the study of <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i> or the Sikh sacred writ. He served the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> with humility and sat in solitary meditation. His learning and dedication were commonly acknowledged and when Nirmal&#257 Sikhs decided to establish their own central school, Sr&#299 Nirmal Pañch&#257it&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, separate from the Ud&#257s&#299s, he was, at an open convention of the sect at Haridv&#257r in 1855, by one voice elected Sr&#299 Mahant, i.e. principal abbot or head, in the presence of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. In 1856, the Nirmal&#257 gathering at Gay&#257, in Bih&#257r, was attended by several of the Sikh chiefs, including Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Narindar Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, R&#257j&#257 Sar&#363p Si&#7749gh of J&#299nd and Sard&#257r Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh of Kals&#299&#257. At the invitation of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Narindar Si&#7749gh, Mahant Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh visited Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 where he was received ceremonially by the ruler himself. Similar welcome awaited him at N&#257bh&#257 and Sa&#7749gr&#363r. He went around preaching the word of Gur&#363 N&#257nak and administering the rites of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 <i>amrit</i> to large numbers. As the ruling chiefs of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd jointly offered to provide a permanent seat for the Pañch&#257it&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, Mahant Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh was again invited to visit the city. Chan&#257rthal&#299&#257&#7749 d&#299 Havel&#299, a large walled house, was placed at the disposal of the Nirmal Akh&#257&#7771&#257. Formal inauguration took place as the <i>akha&#7751&#7693 p&#257&#7789h</i>, continuous unbroken reading the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, begun as part of the ceremony, concluded on 7 August 1862. The Sikh rulers of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd made endowments in cash and land for the maintenance of the Akh&#257&#7771&#257, also called Dharam Dhuj&#257 (lit. standard or flag of <i>dharma</i>). Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh became its first Sr&#299 Mahant. He also held control of the <i>&#7693er&#257</i> at Kankhal, Haridv&#257r, which remained the principal centre of the Nirmal&#257 sect.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mah&#257&#7749t Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh died at Kankhal on 12 April 1871.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ganesh&#257 Si&#7749gh, Mahant, <i>Nirmal Bh&#363shan</i>. Amritsar, n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> Di&#257l Si&#7749gh, Mahant, <i>Nirmal Panth Darshan</i>. Delhi, 1965<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Nirmal Panth Prad&#299pk&#257</i>. Kankhal, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Mun&#299, Arjan Si&#7749gh, <i>Sri Nirmal Pañch&#257it&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257.</i> Kankhal. n.d.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gi&#257n&#299 Balwant Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>