Sikh Mystics and Traditional scholars

Discover the life of Giani Thakar Singh, a prolific Sikh scholar who excelled in expounding sacred texts and significantly contributed to Sikh teachings.

DAKKHANI RAI (d. 1815), a sixth generation descendant of Baba Prithi Chand, the elder brother of Guru Arjan, who had founded an Udasi dera or preaching centre of the Udasi sect at Gharachon, a village in present day Sarigrur district of the Punjab. The rulers of Patiala granted him two villages, Kapial and Batariana, in freehold. Dakkhani Rai was a noncelibate Udasi sadhu, and his descendants are still living at Gharachon. In Bava Brahmanand, Guru L7dasm Matt Darpan, Baba Bishan Sarup and Baba Sarup Das are mentioned as the most respected and most active heads of this branch of Udasis. Baba Sarup Das lived and preached for some time at Shikarpur in Sindh province, and at Amritsar from 1898 till his death there on 22 Assu 1979 Bk / 7 October 1922.

Discover the life of Akali Kaur Singh, a revered Sikh scholar and preacher who championed education and social reform in India and Kashmir.

NIHAL SINGH DAMDAMIAN, 19th century Nirmala saint, a native of Mimsa village of the former princely state of Patiala, received initiation and religious education at the hands of Mahant Dunna Singh, of Uchcha Buriga, a Nirmala sanctuary at Damdama Sahib, Talvandi Sabo, in present day Bathinda district, and became head of the Buriga after the latter`s death. He was respected for his humility and unassuming nature and for the zeal with which he served in the Guru ka Larigar and the loving care with which he looked after the cattle in the shed. In 1860, he with a band of youthful devotees, went to Dera Baba Ram Rai in Dehra Dun and, felling one of the tallest trees in the pine forest of its extensive estate, brought it to Talvandi Sabo carrying it on their heads all the way to Patiala and thence on bullock carts arranged by Maharaja Narinder Singh of Patiala to Damdama Sahib where it was put up as the religious flagmast. Reaching Damdama Sahib, Nihal Singh humbly stood at the entrance where the sangat had deposited their shoes and would not enter the Takht Sahib until he had obtained pardon by paying penalty for having violated the Sikh code of conduct forbidding any dealings with the followers of Baba Ram Rai.

Discover the legacy of Bhai Sant Singh Giani, a renowned scholar and custodian of Amritsar's Sri Darbar Sahib, pivotal in Sikh religious and cultural history.

Explore Pandit Varyam Singh's legacy as a revered religious scholar and education advocate in Punjab. Discover his influence in Sikh reform.

DARGAHA SINGH, BHAI (1713-1823), a Nirmala saint, was born in 1713 the son of Bhai Nigahia Singh of the village of Laungoval, in present day Sangrur district of the Punjab. Nigahia Singh was known to be the elder brother of Bhai Mani Singh, the martyr. For the divali festival of 1725, Nigahia Singh along with his seven sons went to Amritsar where the whole family received the initiatory rites of the Khalsa at the hands of Bhai Mani Singh. Three of the brothers remained in Amritsar, among them Dargaha Singh who showed marked aptitude for scholarly learning as well as for the martial arts. He gained proficiency in both fields, though he was more inclined towards religious pursuits.

Explore the journey of Khuda Singh, a policeman turned saint from Syamgarh, embracing spirituality and Sikh teachings across regions. Learn more now!

NIHAL SINGH, SANT, also known as Pandit Nihal Singh, a Sanskrit scholar well versed in Vedanta as well as in gurbdm, lived in Sikh times in the village of Thoha Khalsa, in district Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan. Pandit Nihal Singh is famous for his Sanskrit commentary on Japu, {hefapugudhdrthadipakd (Lamp which illuminates the deep and hidden meaning of the Japu) patterned on Sarikar`s Bhasya on Veddntasutra. According to the colophon appended to the manuscript, work on Gudhdrthadipakd was undertaken at the instance of an Udasi saint, Bava Buddh Sarup.

Discover Santokh Das, the Udasi saint behind Amritsar's sacred water channels, and his legacy in creating Udasian da Chhota Akhara. Learn more about his impact.

Discover the inspiring journey of Sant Visakha Singh, a Sikh reformer and preacher, pivotal in the Akali movement and educational upliftment in Punjab.

ADDAN SHAH, BHAI (1688-1757), third in succession to Bhai Kanhaiya, founder of the Sevapanthi sect, was born in 1688 in the village of Lau in Jhang district, now in Pakistan. His parents were of a devout temperament and he inherited from them a deeply religious bent of mind. He learnt Gurmukhi and got training in the exegesis of Sikh scriptural texts from Bhai Gurdas Dakkhani, a leading Sikh of Guru Tegh Bahadur`s time. He also remained in the company of Bhai Seva Ram, a disciple of and successor to Bhai Kanhaiya, for a long time and ultimately succeeded him as chief of the Sevapanthi sect.