GUTKA, a small sized missal or breviary containing chosen hymns or barns from Sikh Scriptures. The etymology of the term gutka may be traced back to Sanskrit gud (to guard, preserve) or gunth (to enclose, envelop, surround, cover) through Pali gutii (keeping, guarding). A late eighteenth century scholar of UdasI

GURCHARAN SINGH Gurcharan Singh (1917 - ) is an eminent Punjabi creative writer in the domains of fiction and poetry. He was born in a Kambaj Rajput family. He passed his M.A. in English (1940) Honours in Punjabi (1950) and M.A. in Punjabi in 1953 and was awarded Ph.D.

JINDVAL, village 1 km southeast of Bahga (31011`N, 76"E) along the Phagwara Nawanshahr road in Nawanshahr district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Hargobind, who stayed here for a time, during Ins journey from Kartarpur to Kiratpur in 1635, to get his favourite horse, Suhela, treated. The original

NADALA, village 22 km north of Kapurthala (31°22`N, 75°22`E) along the KapurthalaBholath road, is sacred to Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), who, according to local tradition, visited here more than once. Gurdwara Chheviri Patshahi marking the site where he stayed is a sixstoreyed building with the assembly hall at the ground

PUR HIRAN, village 5 km south of Hoshiarpur town (31°32`N, 75°55`E) along HoshiarpurPhagwara road, has a historical shrine, Gurdwara Zahira Zahur, dedicated to Guru Hargobind who, according to local tradition, came here from Bodal near Dasuya on his way to Kiratpur. The Gurdwara marks the spot where the Guru

SOTRAN, village one km north of Banga (31"11 N, 76"E) in Nawashahr district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine called Gurdwara Gurplah Patshahi Chhevin, dedicated to Guru Hargobind who stayed here briefly under a plah tree (Butia fondosa) on his way from Kartarpur to Kiratpur early in 1635.

TAPA, a small market town 19 km southwest of Barnala (30022`N, 75032`E) in Sangrur district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine, Gurdwara Tibba Sahib Patshahi IX, dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur. The old building constructed by Maharaja Karam Singh (1798-1845) of Patiala has since been replaced by a more

BAOLI or bavali is a masonry well with steps leading down to water level. This is perhaps the oldest type of well introduced when man had discovered the existence of subsoil water and also the means to reach it, but had not yet invented mechanical devices to draw water out