ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>&#7788H&#256KAR SI&#7748GH,GI&#256N&#298 (1838-1943)</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="lHKAR,SIDGH,GIN*,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">&#65279&#7788H&#256KAR SI&#7748GH,GI&#256N&#298 (1838-1943), learned in Sikh sacred texts which he expounded with exceptional virtuosity, was born on 10 November 1838 at the village of Ja&#7751&#7693i&#257l&#257 in Hoshi&#257rpur district of the Punjab, the son of Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257&#7749 Si&#7749gh, a soldier in Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's army. Mah&#257&#7749 Si&#7749gh was a follower of Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Si&#7749gh of Naura&#7749g&#257b&#257d under whose care &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh had his early lessons in the Sikh Scriptures and at whose hands he received the Sikh initiatory rites. After the arrest by the British of Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Si&#7749gh in December 1849, &#7789h&#257kar Si&#7749gh and his father fled roaming from place to place. During these forced travels, they visited most of the Sikh shrines of historical importance. Young &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh kept elaborate notes on the basis of which he later wrote a book on the sacred sites titled <i>Sr&#299 Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i>. As order was restored in the Punjab, father and son returned home. &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh joined the seminary at Damdam&#257 S&#257hib, Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo, where he received further education in Sikh lore and religion. He also acquired proficiency in Braj, Urdu and Persian. For his learned exposition of the Gur&#363s' word, he came to be called a <i>gi&#257n&#299</i>, lit. possessor of religious and spiritual knowledge. Thereafter he set out on his long career of preaching and initiating neophytes into the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 fold. He actively participated in the activites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Lahore, and enjoyed the respect of Sikh aristocracy as well as of the Sikh masses.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1888, he started the annual <i>jo&#7771-mel&#257</i> or religious fair at Gurdw&#257r&#257 Fatehga&#7771h S&#257hib, near Sirhind, to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's mother, M&#257t&#257 Gujar&#299, and his sons, Zor&#257war Si&#7749gh and Fateh Si&#7749gh. Gi&#257n&#299 &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh was a founder-member of the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n established in 1902. He was also a member of the committee which drafted the D&#299w&#257n's constitution. For a time he lectured on Sikhism at Kh&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar. He was an officiant at the marriage of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 which was performed in 1908 according to <i>anand</i> rites. He was supporter of the Gurdw&#257r&#257 Reform movement launched in 1920. Gi&#257n&#299 &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh opened in Amritsar an institution for the training of preachers and scripture-readers which he named Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh Gi&#257n&#299 Granth&#299 Ate Shah&#299d &#256shram.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gi&#257n&#299 &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh was a poet of some merit. Apart from his <i>Gurdu&#257re Darshan</i> (1923) which is in prose, all his smaller works are in verse. They include <i>Sidq Sikkh&#299-- Prasa&#7749g Bh&#257&#299 Jodh&#257 &#7692hes&#299</i> (n.d.); <i>Shah&#299d Bil&#257s : Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh S&#257hibj&#299 de Sr&#299 M&#257t&#257 Gujar&#299 j&#299 ate Ch&#257re S&#257hibz&#257di&#257&#7749 d&#299 Shah&#299d&#299 Kath&#257</i> (n.d.); <i>B&#257r&#257m&#257h&#257 : Ustat Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh J&#299</i> (1901); <i>Poth&#299 Gurmat Itih&#257s</i> (1903); <i>Shah&#299d Bil&#257s B&#257b&#257 D&#299p Si&#7749gh J&#299 Shah&#299d</i> (1904) ; <i>Sidq J&#299van-Man&#299 Si&#7749gh Shah&#299d d&#257 J&#299van Brit&#257nt</i> (1907); <i>Va&#7693&#7693&#257 Shah&#299d Bil&#257s</i> (1913); <i>Kunj&#299&#257&#7749 d&#299 Dard Bhar&#299 Kath&#257</i> (1922).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gi&#257n&#299 &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh died at Amritsar on 5 January 1943 at the age of 104 years.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Barrier, N. Gerald, <i>The Sikhs and Their Literature</i>. Delhi, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Pañj&#257b&#299 Prak&#257shan&#257&#7749 d&#299 S&#363ch&#299</i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Naunihal Si&#7749gh Gi&#257n&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>