ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SH&#256M SI&#7748GH SANT (1803-1926) </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="SHM,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">&#65279SH&#256M SI&#7748GH, SANT (1803-1926) , holy man who was also an accomplished musician, was born in1803 to Bh&#257&#299 Darb&#257r&#299 and Krishan Kaur, a couple of humble means belonging to the Sev&#257panth&#299 sect of the Sikhs and inhabitants of Sh&#257hpur, in Sargodh&#257 district of Pakistan. His father died when he was barely five year old. Sant R&#257m Si&#7749gh, a Sev&#257panth&#299 preacher originally belonging to M&#299rpur, in Jamm&#363 and Kashm&#299r region, took him under his care and moved, along with his young ward, to Amritsar where he stayed at Dharams&#257l&#257 of A&#7693&#7693a&#7751sh&#257h&#299s -- another name for Sev&#257panth&#299s. After his preliminary training in scripture reading, Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh studied Sikh theology and history successively under the guidance of Pa&#7751&#7693it &#256tm&#257 Si&#7749gh and the Nirmal&#257 scholar, &#7788h&#257kur Day&#257l Si&#7749gh. Having an ear for music and a good singing voice, he learnt Sikh devotional music from B&#257b&#257 Naudh Si&#7749gh and became an eminent performer of <i>k&#299rtan</i> specializing in playing <i>sarand&#257</i>. He would daily sing <i>&#256s&#257 k&#299 V&#257r</i> in the morning in Harimandar, the Golden Temple, and <i>Sodar</i> in the evening at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t where he attracted large audiences.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sant Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh led a simple life of self-effacement and service, and came to command great esteem and reverence. Bh&#257&#299 V&#299r Si&#7749gh (1872-1957) and Sard&#257r Sundar Si&#7749gh Maj&#299th&#299&#257 (1872-1941) are said to have taken <i>kha&#7751&#7693e d&#299 p&#257hul</i> at his hands. It was he who inspired Sant Gurmukh Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 (1849-1947) to take up <i>k&#257r-sev&#257</i> (cleaning, construction and reconstruction projects at Sikh shrines with free voluntary labour) as his life's mission.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Sant Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh grew too old to go to Harimandar, his devotees built in 1911 a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> for him in the &#256&#7789&#257 Ma&#7751&#7693&#299 sector of Amritsar. They called it Dharams&#257l&#257 Sant Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh, but he changed the name to Dharams&#257l&#257 Sr&#299 Gur&#363 N&#257nak Dev j&#299 -- D&#257san D&#257s Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh (<i>d&#257san--d&#257s</i> literally meaning slave of slaves).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He died of pneumonia on 23 April 1926 at the great age of 123.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Prem Si&#7749gh, Major, <i>J&#299van Sant B&#257b&#257 Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh</i>. Amritsar, n.d<BR> <li class="C1"> Balwant Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Agam Ag&#257dh Purakh Shr&#299m&#257n P&#363jya Sant Atar Si&#7749gh J&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Mastu&#257&#7751e V&#257l&#299&#257&#7749 d&#257 Samp&#363ran J&#299van Charittar</i>. Mastuana, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Part&#257p Si&#7749gh Gi&#257n&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>