The Indian Panorama

Tag: Darbar Sahib

  • Sikh History This Week- January 20, 2023, to January 26, 2023

    20th January

    1706       Guru Gobind Singh Sahib reached Talwandi, where he set camp, outside the village, is the location of Gurduara Damdamaa Sahib. Dam damaa means breathing place. That is take a breather after the many battles he had been through.

    1841       After Gulab Singh left Lahore, Sher Singh occupied the fort. Dhian Singh became the Wazir. The Sandalwalia Sardars, hostile to the ruling group, started entering into intrigues.

    1926       The British Government announced the judgement in Babbar Akali case. As a result, 5 Babbar Akalis were ordered to the hanged, 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 38 were imprisoned four years. Approximately 90 religious, high spirited, daring fighters formed the Babbar Akali group. They had promised freedom to the masses and vigorously fought the British, especially in the Duaba and Malwa regions.

    1986       Sentences handed in the case of Indian Airline hijacking.

    21st January

    1831       The King of England sent valuable gifts to Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a gesture of friendship. The gifts were really meant to be a bate of friendship! The British had encroched into his territory and came all the way to the other side of river Satluj and finally attacked the Sikh kingdom as soon as he breatherd his last, after buying all the Dogras. What followed afterwards is a history!

    1846       Budhowal battle was fought and won by the Sikh troops against the East India Company. Sikhs defeated Harry Smith at Budhowal and captured his baggage. Sikhs also attacked and burned down large part of Ludhiana cantonement. HArry Smith fought a minor skirmish with Ranjodh Singh at Atwal.

    22nd January

    1848 Mool Raj, Governor of Multan, revolted against the British but was defeated.

    MOOL RAJ: During Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, Mool Raj was an efficient and loyal Governor of Multan, He was the son of Diwan Sawanmal Chaupadhae and appointed Governor by the Lahore darbar. During his reign, two British officers were killed by the Lahore forces. As a result, the British Resident of Lahore, John Lawrence, wanted to dismiss Mool Raj. On account of his loyalty to the kingdom of Ranjit Singh, he revolted against the British East India Company who were forcibly annexing Ranjit Singh’s Punjab. He put up a brave defense of the fort of Multan but was defeated on this day. The British arrested and imprisoned him in Calcutta jail, where he died in 1850.

    1849 Multan fell to the British.

    1986 The additional session judge announced his judgement in the case of Indira Gandhi’s murder. Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh were to be hanged. The sentence was carried out on Jan. 6, 1989. Indira Gandhi was gunned down at her resident on Oct. 31, 1984.’ as a retribution for her role in operation Bluestar, during which the Indian Army attacked and desecrated Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar.

    23rd January

    1923 Dhanna Singh Behbalpur joins the Babbar Akali Jatha.

    1923 Second attempt to kill Arjan Singh Patwari of Haripur also ends in a fiasco. He was alledged to be responsible for Master Mota Singh’s arrest.

    1948 Dr. B.R. Ambedkar suggested the Sikhs to struggle for a Punjabi speaking state.

    1960 Sirdar Tirath Singh accepted shahadat in Delhi, in connection with the Punjabi Subha morcha.

    24th January

    1849       Chatter Singh joined with Sher Singh against the British while the British forces spared from Multan battle joined their forces.

    1923       Pragpur is raided to arrest Kishan Singh Garhgaj.

    1928       Raghbir Singh RajaSasi formed the Central Sikh Association.

    1943       Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha passed away at Kadia-Kunal.

    Among the 12 Sikh misls, Nabha reign represented the major branch of Phullkiyan misl. The Nabha family began with Gurdit Singh, the eldest son of Chaudhary Tilok Singh, who in turn was the eldest son of Baba Phull. As a result, Nabha is also known as Chaudhary da Garh (house of Chaudhary).

    1960       129 members of the SGPC and over 100,000 GurSikhs took a vow to lay lives for Punjabi Suba.

    1993       Kesri Nishan hoisted at The Hague.

    25th January

    1921       Morcha of Taran Taran marked the beginning of Gurudwara Reform Movement. Hazara Singh became the first martyr of the movement.

    1922       Karam Singh of Daulatpur arranged diwan at Nawansehar.

    1936       The Nankana Sahib Committee established the Guru Nanak Prachar Trust.

    26th January

    1720       Nadir Shah attacked, ransacked, and looted Delhi.

    Pandits and Brahmins suffered extensively under Aurangzeb, Bahadhur Shah, Forkhshayer, Nadar Abdali, etc. and Guru’s Sikhs rescued their daughters, sacrificed their own lifes for saving their Dharam. Then these decepers used to honor the Sikhs as “saintly rulers.”

    1921       Sikhs assume control of Sri Darbar Sahib, Taran Taran.

    1950       Republic day of India. But the Sikh Nation’s aspirations remain unfulfilled.

    1986       The Sarbat Khalsa, gathered together at Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar resolved to establish a sovereign State, Khalistan and elected a Panthic Committee to co-ordinate the movement for national independence.

    1986       Work was initiated to dismantle Akal Takht constructed under government’s forcible “Kar Sewa” after Bluestar Operation. This work was carried out by Baba Santa Singh, who was excummunicated from the Panth for his cooperation.

  • Sikh History This Week-January 13, 2023, to January 19, 2023

    13th January

    1588:     Foundation stone of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, laid by Sain Mia Mir.

    Foundation stone of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, was laid down by the renowned Sufi Saint of Qadiry order, Mir Mohamed Khan, popularly known as Hazarat Mian Mir of Lahore. Sri Harimandir Sahib, unlike any other place of worship, was built at a lower level than the surrounding area. It has doors on all four sides, signifying both humanity and universalism and that it was open to people of all the denominations.

    1761:     Janam Din Akali Phula Singh Ji.

    PHULA SINGH AKALI was son of Siha village (Bangar) resident Eshwar Singh. After being introduced to amrit through Nihangh Singh (of Naena Singh Shaheedhi misl), he assumed the name Phula Singh. He was one of the precious flowers of Kalgidhar’s Akali garden. He led the Akali movement in restoration of our Gurudwaras and general improvement of the whole Panth. He traveled extensively in pursuit of Gurudwara reforms. However, he maintained his residence in Amritsar. Even today there is a “burgh” and an establishment, named after him, in Amritsar. Akali Phula Singh helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh fight and successfully win numerous wars. He was so true to his faith and strong in his principles that he did not hesitate in pointing Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s lapses in public forums. Further he actively sought appropriate punishment (Tankha) for such lapses.

    1764:     Conquest of Sirhind by the Khalsa Dal.

    Sirhind was attacked and successfully conquered by the Khalsa Dal. The city was plundered and the walls of the fort were pulled down. Sirhind is the place where the younger sahibzadas, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Fateh Singh Ji, were bricked alive at this place. Ahmed Shah Abdali’s proclation to blow up Sri Harminder Sahib was answered by the total demolition of Sirhind.

    1849:     Battle of ChellianWala fought between Khalsa Army and East India Company resulting in tremendous loss of lives on both sides.

    1913:     Walls of the Gurudwara RakabGanj forcibly demolished by the British Government.

    1974:     Harbhajan Singh Yogi was honored with the title of “Bhai Sahib” at Sri Akal Takhat, Amritsar. He had been honored for his contributions for the American Sikh movement that accounted for 500,000 of American decent.

    14th January

    1553: Guru Amar Das visits Kurukshetra.

    The solar eclipse of “Abijit Nakshatra (recurring after about 25 years) brought Guru Amar Das and his Sikhs to Kurukshetra for preaching Guru Nanak’s mission to the vast multitude. It led to discussions with yogis, naked ascetics, sanyasis and the followers of all the six schools of Hindu philosophy. The earlier solar eclipse had taken Guru Nanak to Kurukshetra, known as a big centre for pilgrimage on such an occasion.

    1705: Mela Maaghi (Muktsar) in remembrance of 40 Muktas.

    Mela is observed every year at Muktsar. Guru Gobind Singh cast off the blue dress that he used for his escape at Dhilmi. He then moved on to Talwandi and was at Rohi when a group of 40 Sikhs from Majha, accompanied by Mata Bhag Kaur, visited him. They were visiting to convey their condolences at the death of his four sons and his mother, and also to offer their services to mediate a compromise between the Guru and the Mughal authorities. However, the Guru put them on the defensive by narrating the series of Mughal atrocities from Guru Arjan’s martyrdom through Guru Hargobind’s incarceration for several years at Gawalior, Guru Tegh Bahadhur’s martyrdom to the laying of the seige of Anandpur.

    1761: Abdali destoyed Panipat but the Sikhs faced him in Goindwal and rescued their honor.

    15th January

    1350: Bhagat Namdev Ji passed away. Annual mela observations are held in village Ghumaan, district Gurdaspur.

    16th January

    1766:     Sirdar Chadat Singh Sukarchakia killed Hameed Khan and captured Gujrawala.

    1841:     Chand Kaur defended Lahore against Sher Singh’s attack with the help of Gulab Singh. Fort was well defended by Gulab Singh and Gardner. Dhian Singh returned to Lahore. Sher Singh lost about 5000 men. And Gulab Singh left fort and Lahore and carried away great wealth.

    1923:     First abortive attempt is made to kill Arjan Singh Patwari of Haripur. He was alledged to be responsible for Master Mota Singh’s arrest.

    17th January

    1766:     Jahan Khan, the Commander of Ahmed Shah Abdali’s forces, attacked Amritsar. The united forces of the Sikh Misls, faced Jahan Khan and successfully deafeated the enemy forces at Putlighar, on the outskirts of Amritsar.1846   The Khalsa Army of Ranjit Singh ransacked a garrision of East India Company at Ludhiana.

    1872:     Baba Ram Singh, Naamdhari Leader, was arrested by the British government. He was subsequently exiled from India.

    1872:     42 Naamdhari GurSikhs, accused of seccisionist acts, were bown-up at Malaerkotla, after being tied with the cannons while one boy was cut to pieces. These executions were carried out under orders of Mr. L. Cowan, Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana, Malaerkotla.

    1922:     All Akalis arrested in connection with the Keys agitation are released.

    1925:     A jatha of 500 Akali Sikhs, led by Lakha Singh JahanShah (Gujran Wala), ready to lay down their lives was stooped from proceeding to Gangsar, Jaito – the place of Sikh agitation, and arrested.

    19th January

    1908: First Gurdwara Sahib in Canada 19th,1908 the was officially opened at 1866 west 2nd Avenue Vancouver B.C., under the management of the Khalsa Diwan Society. This Gurdwara Sahib served the Greater Vancouver Sikh community until new Gurdwara Sahib was occupied on April 25th,1970. The 2nd Avenue property was sold for $100,000 to build a bigger (present) Gurdwara Sahib. It was very unfortunate to lose this historical Sikh monument.