BIHANGAM, from Sanskrit vihang which means a bird, is a term applied to wandering ascetics who lead a life of complete detachment. A Biharigam is a celebate who lives in poverty renouncing all worldly ties and follows the path of holiness. In the Hindu tradition, he, abjuring religious dogma, worships Siva, Rama and other incarnations. Bihangams, among Sikhs, are likewise holy men who do not marry and who shun worldly ambition and temptation. The object of their devotion is the One Supreme Being.
Bhagwan Singh (1850 - 1902) born in the village of Marajh, now in district Bhatinda in 1850,has given the story of Heer a popular rural colour characteristic of the Malwa or the southern region of Punjab. It is written in the classical Kabit form in the Hindu tradition. Sohni Mahival and Mirza Sahiban are two of his other issas besides which he has written many popular stories in verse-form.
Explore the rich tradition of dhadis, storytellers who sing heroic ballads with dhad drumlets, their tales woven in Sikh history.
Aris Daya Singh (1894 - 1946) was popular writer of devotional and didactic verses. He belonged to a backard rural family of farm labourers called Mazhabi Sikhs. Having been thrased by his poor father, Santa Singh, because of his pursuit of learning, left home and started living as a recluse; learnt Punjabi, Hindi, anskrit, Urdu, Persian and Arabic: and studied scriptures of the Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims from their traditional teachers at their respective places of worship and instruction. He began writing poetry while in teens and published his maiden book, Fanah da Makan (Abode of Mortality), in 1914: followed by his most popular work, Zindagi Bilas (Discourse on Life), in 1915.
