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NAULAKKHA, a village about 20 km north of Patiala (30° 20`N, 76° 26`E), has a gurdwara dedicated to the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur who visited the site during one of his journeys across the Malva region. The shrine was managed for a long time by a line of mahants from whom the village Sikh community secured prossession of it during the days of the Gurdwara Reform movement of the 1920`s. The old building was replaced by a new one in 1991 Bk/AD 1934. This present building is constructed around a domed sanctum. The Guru ka Langar is close by. The shrine is managed by a local committee under the auspices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
NIHAL SINGH KAIRON (1863-1928), a pioneer of women`s education in the Punjab, was born on 22 December 1863 at Kairori, a village in Amritsar district. His father, Gulab Singh, a deeply religious person, had three sons, Nihal Singh being the youngest of them. Nihal Singh had no formal schooling, and travelled with his brother, Tarlok Singh, to Malaya (Malaysia) while still very young. He joined the Royal Artillery at Hong Kong, but soon secured his release and returned to his village in the Punjab to work for community welfare and reform. He lectured at Singh Sabha divans.
NIRANKARIS, a sect of the Sikhs born of a reform movement which arose in northwest Punjab in the middle of the nineteenth century aiming to restore the purity of Sikh belief and custom. Its founder, Baba Dayal (1783-1855), was a contemporary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. A man of humble origin, he cavilled at the shortcomings of the mighty and assailed the rites and observances which had perverted the Sikh way of life. His main target was the worship of images against which he preached vigorously.
NIHAL SINGH SODHI (d. 1859), son of Megh Singh, entered Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army in 1819, and was, five years later, made commandant of 100 horsemen in the Charyari corps. He fought for Maharaja Sher Singh during the siege of Lahore in January 1841. Under Sher Singh`s successor, Nihal Singh was sent in command of 1,000 horse to administer the area of Dhanni which was in a state of insurrection. He shot the leader of the insurgents dead and by his vigour and severity soon reduced the country to submission.
