ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MAÑJH BH&#256&#298</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="MAÑJH,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">&#65279MAÑJH, BH&#256&#298, a well-to-do R&#257jp&#363t of Do&#257b&#257 country, converted a Sikh and earned repute for his piety, selfless service and complete surrender to the Gur&#363's will. His real name was T&#299rath&#257 and Mañjh was his clan name. He had been a follower of Sult&#257n S&#257<u>kh</u>&#299 Sarwar, a Muslim saint, until he once visited Gur&#363 Arjan. He did not wish to leave the Gur&#363's presence and begged to be initiated a Sikh. He was told that to be a Sikh he would have to break away from his old beliefs and that he might thereby lose caste with his own people. Bh&#257&#299 Mañjh was determined. He went home and closed the alcove reserved for the worship of Sa<u>kh</u>&#299 Sarwar. For this he was ostracized by his kinsmen and thrown out of the village. Bh&#257&#299 Mañjh returned to Gur&#363 Arjan and received initiation. He was assigned to collecting fuel for Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar. Bh&#257&#299 Mañjh performed his allotted task with complete dedication. One evening, as says Sar&#363p D&#257s Bhall&#257, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>, he was returning with a load of firewood on his head when, blinded by a severe dust storm, he fell into a shallow well. He kept standing in the water the whole night holding his load on his head to save it from getting wet. As the report reached Gur&#363 Arjan the next morning, he came accompanied by some of his Sikhs and rescued him. He embraced Bh&#257&#299 Mañjh and spoke : "The Gur&#363 loveth Mañjh as Mañjh loveth the Gur&#363. Mañjh is the vessel for men to ferry them across the ocean of existence.&#8221 Bh&#257&#299 Mañjh was appointed to preach Sikh faith in his district. He established himself in the village of Ka&#7749g, 18 km west of Hoshi&#257rpur, where Gur&#363 Arjan is said to have visited him in 1595. A shrine,Gurdw&#257r&#257 B&#257b&#257 Mañjh, at Ka&#7749g still commemorates him. People from the surrounding villages collect there on the first of each Bikram&#299 month, and an annual fair is held on the first of M&#257gh (mid-January).</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Man&#299 Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sikh&#257&#7749 d&#299 Bhagat M&#257l&#257</i>. Amritsar, 1955<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-35<BR> <li class="C1"> Bhall&#257, Sar&#363p D&#257s, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">T&#257ran Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>