ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#362P CHAND BH&#256&#298 (1614-1709)</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="RjP,CHAND,BH*,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">&#65279R&#362P CHAND, BH&#256&#298 (1614-1709), ancestor of the Bh&#257&#299 family of B&#257ga&#7771&#299&#257&#7749, was born in 1614, the son of Bh&#257&#299 S&#257dh&#363 and M&#257&#299 Surt&#299, a carpenter couple of Tukl&#257&#7751&#299 village in Far&#299dko&#7789 district. S&#257dh&#363 was a follower of S&#257kh&#299 Sarwar, a Muslim <i>p&#299r</i>, variously called Lakhd&#257t&#257 or L&#257l&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257, who enjoyed considerable popularity and influence in the area. S&#257dhu's wife professed the Sikh faith and she was able to persuade her husband once to accompany her to see Gur&#363 Hargobind who was on a visit to &#7693araul&#299 Bh&#257&#299, near Tukl&#257&#7751&#299. No sooner had Bh&#257&#299 S&#257dh&#363 set his eyes upon the Gur&#363 than he felt deeply moved and was converted. The couple received the Gur&#363's blessings. After some time they again visited Daraul&#299 with their first-born son whom the Gur&#363 named R&#363p Chand.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When during 1631 Gur&#363 Hargobind was again travelling through the M&#257lv&#257 country, he met Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p&#257, as R&#363p Chand was commonly called, near the village of Guma&#7789&#299 in Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 district. The latter, then barely sixteen, was working in the fields along with his father. He served cold water to the Gur&#363. The Gur&#363 was pleased to receive the refreshment and he encouraged the father and son to lay the foundation of their own village. The new village, about 5 km to the east of Guma&#7789&#299, was called Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p Chand became a widely respected preacher of the Sikh faith in the M&#257lv&#257 region. As his end approached, he established a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257 </i> in honour of Gur&#363 Hargobind at Bh&#257&#299 k&#299 Sam&#257dh or Sam&#257dh Bh&#257&#299 village to commemorate the Gur&#363's visit. Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p Chand died there on S&#257van <i>vad&#299</i> 1, 1766 Bk/28 May 1709. It is his own Sam&#257dh here which gives the village its name.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p Chand had seven sons of whom two, Dharam Si&#7749gh and Param Si&#7749gh, received the rites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 at the hands of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh at Damdam&#257 S&#257hib (Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo) and accompanied the Gur&#363 during his journey further to the South. After some time the Gur&#363 advised them to return to the Punjab and preach the Gur&#363's word.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B&#257ga&#7771&#299&#257&#7749 family is descended from Bh&#257&#299 Dharam Si&#7749gh.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><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>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> K&#257hn Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh</i>. Patiala , 1981<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>