11 Twenty five kilometres from Ludhiana is located a small village of Sri Bhaini Sahib which embodied a rural life typical in the land of the five rivers. Around its fields, there existed a corporate life led by simple, God-fearing and innocent people. In Such a village was born the great Guru of the Namdhari Sikhs on Vaisakhi in the year 1816. This was the day when the fields were green with the crops and the yellow flowers were dancing majestically from the stems of the plants.
Like many other great souls and Saints, Guru Ram Singh had a pious mother who reared him up by Singing to him the verses from the Holy Granth, and by narrating to him the lives and adventures of the Gurus and other Epic heroes.Jassa Singh the father of Guru Ram Singh, held a key position in the village and was greatly respected.
Guru Ram Singh grew up in such a house. He learnt Gurmukhi from his mother and he memorized many parts of the ‘Bani.’ At the age of 9 Guru Ram Singh began to help his father in many works. While the other boys sang the village folk songs, this promising child always sang verses from the Granth. The others felt amused, then felt interested, and finally joined the religious-minded Guru Ram Singh in reciting the holy Verses.
When the Sikhs were getting ready to start for the battle of Mudki in 1903 (Bikarmi) He was asked to pray for success. He stood for sometime facing the sun in a mood of ecstasy and declared. “Pray or do not pray the Sikhs are not going to win”. The Prophecy proved true. When the Sikhs were about to fight at Mudki, Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji threw his gun into the river (sutluj), and said that he had thrown it then, and others would throw theirs later on.
These were the days of his political education. He saw before his eyes, how the English were advancing towards the Lahore State and encircling it from all sides: sowing seeds of dissension, promoting treason amongst the ranks of the Khalsa: and trying to fulfil their long-cherished ambition.He saw the internal weakness of his community as well as the external danger from the imperialists. Service in the army failed to extinguish the religious flame in his heart; he remained regular in his prayers, forthright in his dealings and elevated in his character.It was while serving in this regiment that he came under the influence of Guru Balak Singh. It is believed by the Namdhari Sikhs that The Guru ship was conferred by the Tenth Gum on Gum Balak Singh of Huzro who passed it on to Guru Ram Singh. This ended his Military career. He return to Bhaini Sahib where he began to devote himself entirely to his people and his own religion.
Program Audio of Basant Panchmi 2015 Program at Namdhari Sikh Center Southall
Slide show of Basant Panchmi 2015 Program at Namdhari Sikh Center Southall:
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