ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MEL&#256 SI&#7748GH SANT (1784-1854)</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="MEL,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">&#65279MEL&#256 SI&#7748GH, SANT (1784-1854), holy saint and preacher of the Sikh faith, was born in 1784 at Ko&#7789ehar&#299, a village in B&#257<u>gh</u> <i>tahs&#299l</i> of the present Pu&#7751chh district of Jamm&#363 and Kashm&#299r. He was only eleven years of age when his father, Bh&#257&#299 Makkha&#7751 Si&#7749gh, a pious Sikh convert from a Br&#257hma&#7751 family, died. Soon after, his elder brother, Fateh Si&#7749gh left on a pilgrimage to N&#257nde&#7693, sacred to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, and never returned home. He made Amritsar his permanent abode, dedicating himself to a life of prayer and service. Young Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh was much affected by his brother's example. He had a melodious voice and sang devotional songs on his <i>dot&#257r&#257</i>, a simple double-string instrument, as he grazed cattle in the bush around his village. His recitation attracted the notice of sant Roch&#257 Si&#7749gh, an elderly saint much revered in those parts, who once happened to pass by. The holy man entered the village and asked Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh's mother to entrust her son to him. He took over the young boy as a disciple of his and brought him up under his personal care. He was so deeply impressed by his pious devotion that, before his death in 1803, he nominated Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh, then scarcely 20 years of age, to be his successor.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sant Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh set up his <i>&#7771er&#257</i>, along with a <i>Gurdw&#257r&#257</i> and Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar, at a place 5 km to the east of Pu&#7751chh, and named it Santpur&#257 Nag&#257l&#299 after <i>nag&#257l</i> plant that grew in abundance in that tract close to the Dura&#7749gal&#299 rivulet. The <i>&#7693er&#257</i> was endowed by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, who visited it during his Kashm&#299r campaigns in 1814 and 1819. Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, the &#7692ogr&#257 ruler, also assigned to it the revenue of several surrounding villages. While Nag&#257l&#299, reverently called Nag&#257l&#299 S&#257hib, was his principal seat, Sant Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh frequently went out preaching across different parts of Pu&#7751chh, Haz&#257r&#257, Kashm&#299r valley and the Punjab. He initiated many into the Sikh faith, established <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> and instructed people in the pious and upright way of life. He also had admirers among Hindus and Muslims whom he enjoined truly to adhere to the tenets of their own faiths.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sant Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh died on 5 November 1854, Sant Mann&#257 Si&#7749gh succeeding him in the holy seat at Nag&#257l&#299.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>