The great ascetic and enlightened one Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj of Hoti Mardaan (Pakistan) was one Godly personality who, during the 18th century AD, played an important role in disseminating the message of the Guru and the practice of initiating people as Khalsa. He was a great Saint of the Nirmala Sect.
His thoroughly devoted disciple Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj was so blessed by his Gurudev that people saw in him a true reflection of his Gurudev. Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj had chosen the village of Jiyan in district Hoshiarpur as his base where he meditated. He carried forward the tradition of his dear Gurudev Sant Baba Karam Singh ji Maharaj. He played an important role of leadership for the Sikh Panth in times of trouble and kept them in high spirits. He helped the panth achieve success in the important struggles, like the one in Jaito. The form in which the sangat today sees the Keshgarh Sahib Gurdwara owes much to him. He himself prepared the plans and started constructing the building of the Gurdwara, by laying down the foundation stone with his own hands, on this difficult terrain.
Into the august presence of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj came Sant Baba Basant Singh ji. Giving up home and hearth he obeyed his Guru and undertook long austerities. He would study the Gurbani and ponder over its deep meaning. He would recite His Name and fix his mind ever on Him. After grueling hard work of many years Sant Baba Basant Singh ji by the grace of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj attained the status of the Braham Giani – he who is one with the Lord. Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj refined and adorned his dearest disciple and one day he passed on his own refulgence born of austerities to him.
The difference between the philosopher’s stone and the saint is big indeed
For the stone but turns iron to gold, the saint from a human creates one like himself
Such was the grace of the Guru that the disciple became worthy of worship in this world.
How beautiful are those persons who chant Waaho! Waaho! ; people come to venerate them.
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Sant Baba Basant Singh ji in obedience to his Guru quit Jiyan village and made various places the base for meditation and austerities. There were times when he sat amidst piles of bagasse and meditated on the Lord, and at other times he sat in the freezing cold amidst stacks of wheat chaff to meditate. Leading the sangat to edification and deliverance he finally reached village Johalan near Jalandhar in 1920AD and there did he settle. Blessed was the soil of Johalan, which became home to this great ascetic, selfless soul and the epitome of spirituality. In the midst of the wasteland did this great soul, imbued in godliness, establish his base and take on the holy task of upliftment of mankind.
His 86-year sojourn on this Earth was completely dedicated to meditation, to the welfare of mankind, religious knowledge, propagation of Sikhism and spreading the message of the Guru’s word. He passed the priceless gift of the Amrit of the Tenth Master to the sangat and thus taught them to attach themselves to Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
He trained the suitable ones as priests (Granthis), those who performed the task of properly reciting the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Beyond teaching them the art of correct recitation he also taught them the proper way of living and conducting themselves as priests. He also taught the sangat on how to render proper respect to these priests.
He was very fond of listening to the Kirtan, the musical rendering and recitation of the Gurbani. He formed groups of such singers – kirtani jathas – and would listen to their recital. There were instances when by his grace even such Sikhs who could not have dreamt of playing harmonium or the tabla, learnt to perform kirtan and would sing in the congregation the word of God without the least hesitation. He also prepared groups of traditional bards, the ones who to the accompaniment of the tabor and the lute sing ballads so that the sangat could be exposed to their history, which forms the basis of these ballads. The lives of the Gurus, stories from the Gurbani, the importance of the various Gurpurabs and the important days linked to events in the lives of the Gurus, were explained to the people through preachers, especially trained and encouraged by him.
All those who performed the duties of the priests, or of performing kirtan, or be they the traditional bards, all had to be duly inducted into the Khalsa through partaking of the ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword. They were required to keep flowing beards and to wear the symbolic short sword with the gatra visible over their outer clothes. Those speaking from the stage were strictly forbidden to talk politics, to denigrate any other religion or to speak derogatory words about any person. They were required to confine themselves to talking about Gurbani or about the history of the Gurus.
Such was the splendour of his personality that many adherents of other religions, most of who were Hindus and Muslims also became his followers. Many of them even converted to Sikhism. Apart from the Nirmalas coming from other centers, sadhus of even other sects would come to him to seek guidance.
Such was the splendour of his personality that many adherents of other religions, most of wVillagers who habitually wore loose wraparound cloth around the loins, who dyed their hair or trimmed or cut it, were transformed by him though initiation with the ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword. The word of this ascetic carried such force that minds were instantaneously reformed, and the fortunate ones would take to the Guru’s path.ho were Hindus and Muslims also became his followers. Many of them even converted to Sikhism. Apart from the Nirmalas coming from other centers, sadhus of even other sects would come to him to seek guidance.
He taught people how to come out of their superstitions and fallacies and to follow the simple and true path of the Sikh.
The sangat learnt just by seeing his way of life, the correct way to go into samadhi, how to observe the religious austerities, how to recite the Name of the Lord, and the joys of simple living.
Sant Baba ji never accepted money or expensive gifts, regardless of whether those offering it were kings or ministers. He was a true exemplar of the self-denying sadhu. None could find a gap between what he professed and what he practiced. This was the reason why all from constable to SSP or even IG of the Police department, soldier to Havaldar to General from the Army, politicians, government officials, farmers big or small, Doctors, Engineers etc, who once had audience with him were inevitably drawn to the Gurbani to which they then became attached. Many officers of high rank were brought by him to the path of Gurbani and guided onto the true path of Sikhism. No matter how high the rank of an officer was, this detached sadhu saw them all only as one of, and a part of the sangat.
Many liars, thieves and robbers, licentious debauches and those sunk in the coils of greed and arrogance were redeemed by him, and were guided onto the path of true devotion.
If some devotee presented cloth at the Kutiya, he would have kachehras (Underwear’s) stitched there from and would give these to those among the sangat who dressed in loose wraparounds, so that they could observe the correct practice of Sikhism. Whenever the ceremony of initiation through the ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword, was held at the Kutiya, the five symbols of Sikhism, the kesh – hair, the kangha – comb, the kara – the steel bracelet, the kachehra – the underwear, and the kirpan – short sword, known together as the five k’s were required to be present on every devotee – man or woman. The later four were offered free to the aspiring seekers at the Kutiya itself.
He started the practice of Nagar Kirtan – the ceremonial procession – on the occasion of the birthdays of the Gurus, in Jalandhar City. He gave special importance to the festival of Hola Mohalla, and also started the practice of ceremonially carrying Sri Guru Granth Sahib from the Kutiya in a procession through the villages. The anniversary of his Gurudev was observed at the Kutiya on 6th Poh every year. This occasion was marked by the completion of five non-stop recitations of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and the congregation would then be held. The Sikh sangat would of course attend in large numbers, but there would also be in attendance large number of sadhus from other sects. This tradition has been kept up after him by his successors also. Now a days three grand anniversaries are observed. These are:
1. On 6th Poh (around 20th December) in memory of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj. 2. On 24th Kartik (around 9th November) in memory of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj and Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj. 3. On 25th Phagun (around 8th March) in memory of Sant Baba Harbhajan Singh ji ‘Virakat’.
1. On 6th Poh (around 20th December) in memory of Sant Baba Harnam Singh ji Maharaj. 2. On 24th Kartik (around 9th November) in memory of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj and Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj. 3. On 25th Phagun (around 8th March) in memory of Sant Baba Harbhajan Singh ji ‘Virakat’.
He laid the foundation stone of many Gurdwaras. He located the holy historical places where the Sixth Master had visited, in Ramsar, Sagranwali and Jandu Singha, and motivated the sangat to build Gurdwaras at these places.
He went beyond Punjab and visited UP, Delhi, Caimbalpur (Pakistan), and Faridkot etc and propagated Sikhism there, bringing many within the Sikh way of life.
Sadhu Sant Haridev ji of the Nirmal Panth visiting from Haridwar was so taken by the otherworldly and chaste beauty of the Kutiya that he named it ‘Nirmal Kutiya’. All the sadhus in ‘Nirmal Kutiya’ are celibates. Their lives are marked by great simplicity and they all remain immersed in their meditation. Whichever sadhu has once entered the Kutiya; he forgets forever his kin, his relations and his friends and becomes inseparable from the sangat, never to return to his home.
All the sadhus are ascetics and none have any separate room to him nor is separate food prepared for anyone. They sleep on the floor and no sadhu uses a warm quilt in the winter. Having renounced their homes these sadhus are dedicated to service, recitation of the Gurbani, meditating on the Lord’s Name and austerities. Apart from the Nitnem, these sadhus have memorized many Banis – compositions of the Gurus. Some remember by heart ten Banis while others have memorized 15 to 20. Starting with Nitnem at the ambrosial hour in the early morning they recite many Banis till the afternoon. Their faces are lustrous with the energy of their austerities, and high spirits and a glow is ever visible on their faces. They are men of few words and rarely speak with the sangat. All the sadhus are duly initiated Sikhs of the Khalsa through the Gurus ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword. Many sadhus were at the service of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj but Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj and Sant Baba Harbhajan Singh ji ‘Virakat’ were the ones who served with the most devotion. These two sadhus were tireless in their service and never said nay to any of his commands and wishes, which were accepted gladly by them.
In recognition of his services to the Panth and to Sikhism, his portraits adorn the Sikh Museums at Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sri Patna Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Delhi and many other Gurdwaras.