ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>P&#256L SI&#7748GH &#256RIF SANT (1873-1958)</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="PL,SIDGH,RIF,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">&#65279P&#256L SI&#7748GH '&#256RIF, SANT (1873-1958), mystic and poet, was born on Maghar <i>sud&#299</i> 15, 1930 Bk/4 December 1873, the son of Gurdit Si&#7749gh Sandh&#363 and S&#257hib Kaur of the village of Paddhar&#299, now in Amritsar district of the Punjab. He learnt to read and write Punjabi from the village <i>granth&#299</i> and Urdu from a Muslim. He developed a taste for folk poetry and started composing verse of his own quite early in his youth. P&#257l Si&#7749gh was also fond of the company of holy men, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim. At the age of 20, he was married to Nih&#257l Kaur, daughter of Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh, of the village of S&#257&#7749ghn&#257, in his own district. A year later, he enlisted in British-Burmese army, and migrated to Burma. There he trained as a regimental signaller in the 3rd Burmese Battalion and lived for the most part at Mandally. In due time, he was promoted a corporal. During his stay in Burma he turned to mysticism under the influence of one Havild&#257r H&#257kim Si&#7749gh who for his piety was known among his comrades as a <i>gi&#257n&#299</i> or '<i>&#257rif</i>, i.e. one possessing spiritual in sight. Because of his close association with H&#257kim Si&#7749gh, he too came to be called a <i>sant</i> or '<i>&#257rif</i>. When he came back to India after retirement and settled down at his native Paddhar&#299, he attracted many disciples from different places in North India and founded almost a separate sect of '&#256rifs. He and his followers were Sikhs by faith but their style and expression had S&#363f&#299 overtones. A prolific writer, Sant P&#257l Si&#7749gh '&#256rif was the author of over three dozen works, mostly in verse, on themes varying from esoteric folklore to didactic and religious. They were published from time to time right from the year 1896 in the form of separate books as well as in Punjabi newspapers and magazines. In 1949 he published a collection of all his poems in a 1250 page volume entitled '<i>&#256rif Prak&#257sh</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sant P&#257l Si&#7749gh '&#256rif passed away at P&#257ddhar&#299 on 5 H&#257&#7771 2015 Bk/19 June 1958. His followers gather at the memorial shrine outside the village on 5 Ha&#7771 every year to observe his death anniversary.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>