ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>NIH&#256L SI&#7748GH 2</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="NIHL,SIDGH,DAMDAM*D"> <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">&#65279NIH&#256L SI&#7748GH DAMDAM&#298&#256&#7748,19th-century Nirmal&#257 saint, a native of M&#299ms&#257 village of the former princely state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, received initiation and religious education at the hands of Mahant Dunn&#257 Si&#7749gh, of Uchch&#257 Bu&#7749g&#257, a Nirmal&#257 sanctuary at Damdam&#257 S&#257hib, Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo, in present-day Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 district, and became head of the Bu&#7749g&#257 after the latter's death. He was respected for his humility and unassuming nature and for the zeal with which he served in the Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar and the loving care with which he looked after the cattle in the shed. In 1860, he with a band of youthful devotees, went to &#7693er&#257 B&#257b&#257 R&#257m R&#257i in Dehr&#257 D&#363n and, felling one of the tallest trees in the pine forest of its extensive estate, brought it to Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo carrying it on their heads all the way to Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and thence on bullock carts arranged by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Narinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 to Damdam&#257 S&#257hib where it was put up as the religious flagmast. Reaching Damdam&#257 S&#257hib, Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh humbly stood at the entrance where the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> had deposited their shoes and would not enter the Ta<u>kh</u>t S&#257hib until he had obtained pardon by paying penalty for having violated the Sikh code of conduct forbidding any dealings with the followers of B&#257b&#257 R&#257m R&#257i. This enhanced his reputation, and when Dharam Dhuj&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, the famous Nirmal&#257 seat, was established at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in 1862, Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh was one of the four <i>mahants</i> appointed to assist the head of the institution in its administration. Mahant Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh had established Bu&#7749g&#257 Damdam&#299&#257&#7749 at Muktsar which became a centre for several <i>&#7693er&#257s</i> or seminaries which also he helped to set up in the region for imparting religious education. The exact date of his death is not known, but an old deed in the possession of Gi&#257n&#299 Gurcharan Si&#7749gh of Muktsar shows that he appointed his successors to the Bu&#7749g&#257s at Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo and Muktsar in 1928 Bk/AD 1871.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Mahant, Di&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>Nirmal Panth Darshan</i>. Delhi, 1965<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurcharan Si&#7749gh Gi&#257n&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>