divan

Explore the influential legacy of the Bhasaur Singh Sabha, champions of Sikh renaissance, from caste rejection to pioneering Sikh initiations since 1893.

CHIKA, an old village in Kaithal district of Haryana, 26 km west of Pehova (29° 59`N, 76° 35`E), is sacred to Guru Hargobind and Guru Tegh Bahadur. The former passed through Chika at the time of his visit to Kurukshetra in 1638. Guru Tegh Bahadur arrived here from Samana en route to Delhi, in 1675, and stayed here for two days with Bhai Glaura, the masand of the Barigar area extending up to Hansi and Hissar. A low platform in a room on the first floor of an old house in the northeastern part of the village commemorated the visits of the holy Gurus.

DHAMOT (30° 42`N, 76° 2`E), village in Ludhiana district, has a historical shrine sacred to Guru Hargobind. The...

DIVALI, festival of lights (from Sanskrit dipamala or dipavali meaning row of lamps or nocturnal illumination), is observed all over India on amavasya, the last day of the dark half of the lunar month of Kartika (October-November). Like other seasonal festivals, Divali has been celebrated since time immemorial. In its earliest form, it was regarded as a means to ward off, expel or appease the malignant spirits of darkness and ill luck. The festival is usually linked with the return to Ayodhya of Lord Rama at the end of his fourteen year exile. For the Hindus it is also an occasion for the worship of Laksmi, the goddess of good fortune, beauty and wealth.

Explore the heroic exploits of Divan Chand, the general who played a pivotal role in conquering Multan and Kashmir in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.

DIVAN SINGH MAFTOON (1890-1974) was in his day the most talked about editor in Urdu journalism. Born in the Punjab he migrated to Delhi in the early twenties. His sole asset was a smattering of Urdu. Gradually, he grew in his command of the language and became known for his mastery of Urdu prose acclaimed for its lucidity and exactness. Through his felicity in Urdu prose, he naturalized himself in the milieu of Ghalib`s Delhi. He achieved to a considerable degree its style and refinement. In his conversation, in his dress and in his tastes, he became a sovereign Delhiite. He had a natural genius in personal relationships.

DIVAN SINGH, BHAI (1888-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, was born in 1888, the son of Bhai Hira Singh and Mat Pan Kaur of Pandori Nij[jaran, in Jalandhar district. The family later shifted to Chakk No. 91 Dhannuana, in the newly colonized district of Lyallpur, now in Pakistan. Divan Singh, an illiterate bachelor, made a name for himself in that area as a wrestler and as an intrepid fighter.

DIVAN SINGH, BHAI (d. 1924), one of the martyrs of Jaito Morcha, was born around 1874, the son of Sahib Singh of the village of Mahingarval in Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab. As he grew up, he joined government service in the railways and was an assistant engineer when he resigned in protest against the deposition by the British of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, ruler of the princely state of Nabha, in July 1923, and became an activist in the Akali movement for the reformation of the management of Sikh shrines.

Explore Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Narli near Indo-Pak border, a site of historical significance established by Guru Amar Das. Visit the 1950s structure today!

Discover Raikot's rich history and spirituality at Gurdwara Tahliana Sahib, where Guru Gobind Singh heard of his sons' martyrdom. Visit for annual celebrations.

Discover the intriguing tale of Sobha Singh, his rise in Sikh power, and alliances in the Anglo Sikh war. Learn about his legacy in Punjab's history.

ANANTNAG (33° 44`N, 75° 13`E), a district town on the southern edge of the Kashmir valley, is named after a nearby spring which is regarded as sacred by the Hindus. The town claims a historical Sikh shrine commemorating the visit of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who passed through here on his way to Mattan in 1517. The present building of Gurdwara Guru Nanak in the southern part of the town was constructed in 1950, and a second storey was added to it in 1970.