MAI-POTRE, meaning grandsons of an old woman, is the name given to a group of families residing in Goindval. These families were the descendants of a goldsmith couple blessed by Guru Amar Das. It is said that the couple, advancing in years, had no offspring. Despaired of the gift of

SACHCHAN SACHCH, a simple Brahman so nicknamed for his habit of responding with "sachch, sachch (true, true)" to anything said to him, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Amar Das. Leaving his native village, Mandar, now in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan he came to stay at

AMAR DAS, GURU (1479-1574), the third of the ten Gurus of the Sikh faith, was born into a Bhalla Khatri family on Baisakh sudi 14, 1536 Bk, corresponding to 5 May 1479, at Basarke, a village in present day Amritsar district of the Punjab. His father\'s name was Tej Bhan

BASARKE GILLAN, village 12 km southwest of Amritsar (31° 38`N, 74° 52`E) on the ChhehartaJhabal link road, is sacred to Guru Amar Das, Nanak III, who was born here on 5 May 1479. There are three historical shrines in the village. GURDWARA JANAM ASTHAN, a small shrine privately managed,

GIRDHARI, BHAI, a wealthy but childless shopkeeper from southern districts, who hearing of how a certain goldsmith had got offspring as a result of Guru Amar Das`s blessing, made a pilgrimage to Goindval to see the Guru. The Guru uttered a sloka (couplet) as he saw him: "None can erase

MALIA, BHAI, along with Bhai Saharu, accepted the Sikh faith at the hands of Guru Amar Das. Both were tailors by profession and belonged to the village of Dalla, in present-day Kapurthala district of the Punjab. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhdan di Bhagat Mala, as Guru Amar Das

SADHARAN, SANT, was the name given by Guru Amar Das to one of his devoted Sikhs, a carpenter of Goindval, who had made a long wooden ladder for use in the baoli, or open well, then under construction. Pleased with his devotion and industry, Guru Amar Das called him

AMAR KATHA, of unknown authorship, comprises a mixture of diverse hagiographic traditions bearing on the life of Guru Nanak. The work remains unpublished, but several manuscripts are known to exist: for instance, two of them, dated AD 1818 and 1872, respectively, are preserved in the Guru Nanak Dev University Library

BENI, PANDIT, a learned Brahman of Chunian, in present day Lahore district of Pakistan, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Amar Das. As he first visited Goindval, he came loaded with books to demonstrate his learning. Guru Amar Das spoke to him gently: "Mere learning begetteth

GOINDVAL (31°22`N, 75"9`E), the first ever place of Sikh pilgrimage so designated by its founder, Guru Amar Das. This in fact was the spot where the ancient eastwest highway crossed the River Beas. With the renovation of the highway by Sher Shall Sur, the Afghan ruler of north India

MANAK CHAND JIVARA, a Patharia Khatri of the village of Vairoval, now in Amritsar district of the Punjab, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Amar Das. He lovingly contributed the labour of his hands to digging the Baoli, or open well with steps going down to

SAIDO, BHAI, a Gheho Jatt, worshipper of Khwaja Khizr, a mythical Muslim saint, became a disciple of Guru Nanak. According to Puratan Janam Sakhi, he accompanied Guru Nanak during his journey to the South. While in Ceylon, Guru Nanak is said to have uttered Pran Sangali, a metrical composition