DESU SINGH, BHAI (d. 1781), was the second of the five sons of Bhai Gurbakhsh Singh of the well known Bhai family, deriving its name from the celebrated Bhai Bhagatu, contemporary of three successor Gurus, Guru Arjan, Guru Hargobind and Guru Har Rai. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Garb Ganjani Tika, Desu Singh was the fifth in the line of Bhai Bhagatu`s descendants. His father, Bhai Gurbakhsh Singh, was a close associate of Ala Singh of Patiala and had carved for himself some territories around Sirhind and Kaithal besides his ancestral possessions in several villages around Bhuchcho, near Bathinda.
NIHAL SINGH AHLUVALIA (d. 1852), son of Fateh Singh Ahluvalia, succeeded to the Ahluvalia chieftaincy on the death, in 1836, of his father. In his youth he was a favourite of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was the recipient of the towns of Nur Mahal and Kalat Majra and other occasional bounties. Upon succession, however, he was subjected to a fee of 1,000,000 rupees. His younger brother, Amar Singh, who lived in Lahore, conspired to usurp the gaddi and was encouraged in his ambition by the Maharaja as well as by his minister, Dhian Singh.
DURGA, PANDIT, or Durgo Bhambi, a Sarsvat Brahman of Bhambi clan living in the village of Mihra or Mahera (location obscure), predicted great name and fame for (Guru) Amar Das when the latter even had not yet met Guru Ahgad. According to Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, Amar Das, at the time of one of his pilgrimages to Haridvar, halted at Mihra for rest in a house maintained by Durga Pandit for travellers. As he lay asleep, Durga, who was an astrologer as well as a palmist, observed in one of his feet a lotus mark which is believed to be the sign of sovereignty or exceptional spiritual eminence.
