ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>M&#362L SI&#7748GH MAHANT (d. 1982)</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="MjL,SIDGH,MAHANT"> <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">&#65279M&#362L SI&#7748GH, MAHANT (d. 1982), who commuted freely between the main body of the Sikhs and their Nirmal&#257 sect, held high positions in both. As a member of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, he played an important role in Sikh religious affairs, though his affiliation to the Nirmal&#257 order was unambiguous.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Born around AD 1885 at Goindv&#257l in the family of T&#257r&#257 Chand, a Marv&#257h&#257 Khatr&#299, M&#363l Si&#7749gh spent the first four years of his childhood at Goindv&#257l. Thereafter he was taken to Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 where he completed his preliminary education returning to Goindv&#257l to study under Sw&#257m&#299 Bhagat Si&#7749gh of Pi&#7751&#7693&#299 Gheb. M&#363l Si&#7749gh familiarized himself with the Sikh texts. He then travelled to Amritsar where he formally accepted the discipleship of Sant R&#257m Si&#7749gh of Bu&#7749g&#257 Nirmali&#257&#7749, the oldest among the Nirmal&#257, <i>&#7693er&#257s</i> or monasteries in the city.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; M&#363l Si&#7749gh, learned in religious lore and of a charitable disposition, was appointed <i>mahant</i> of the Nirmal&#257 Bu&#7749g&#257 on 21 March 1921 as successor to his teacher, Mahant R&#257m Si&#7749gh. This was the time when the Ak&#257l&#299 movement for the reformation of the Sikh religious administration was at its peak. M&#363l Si&#7749gh plunged into the agitation. He courted arrest, along with several other Nirmal&#257 <i>sants</i>, at Gur&#363 k&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u>. He served as a member of Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee for 13 years. His chief responsibility in Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee was conducting of <i>akha&#7751&#7693 p&#257&#7789hs</i>. He also acted as the Jathed&#257r, i.e. head, of the La&#7749gar Committee. He was appointed Head Granth&#299 or chief officiant of the Golden Temple which office he retained for fifteen years in an honorary capacity. In his own sect also Mahant M&#363l Si&#7749gh occupied a position of honour. He also held offices in the-Nirmal Pañch&#257yat&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, Kankhal, and in the Nirmal Mah&#257&#7749 Ma&#7751&#7693al.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mah&#257&#7749t M&#363l Si&#7749gh died on 11 June 1982.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ganesh&#257 Si&#7749gh, Mahant, <i>Nirmal Bh&#363shan arth&#257t Itih&#257s Nirmal Bhekh</i>. Amritsar, 1994 Bk/1937<BR> <li class="C1"> Mun&#299, Sw&#257m&#299 Arjan Si&#7749gh, <i> Sr&#299 Nirmal Pañch&#257yat&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257</i>. Kankhal, 2006 Bk/ 1949<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Nirmal Panth Prad&#299pak&#257</i>. Ed. &#298shar Si&#7749gh Chakravart&#299, Kankhal, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Pritam Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Nirmal Samprad&#257i</i>. Amritsar, 1981<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>