Mahant Kahan Singh Ji: Difference between revisions
Hari singh (talk | contribs) |
|||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
[[Category:Sewapanthi]] | |||
[[ Category: Biographical ]] | [[ Category: Biographical ]] | ||
Revision as of 17:46, 1 February 2012
Mahant Kahan Singh Ji 'Seva Panthi' is the 13th spiritual descendant of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji. He was anointed as the Mahant of Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji on January 14, 2008 by Mahant Tirath Singh Ji himself. Mahant Sahib was the natural choice for this great honor, as he is considered a great soul by the entire Sikh Sant Samaj in India. He is most unassuming considering the position he has been anointed to. Mahant Sahib has been serving sangats in the villages of Punjab for over 50 years and is loved by everyone who has ever had the great fortune of meeting him. When visiting Tikana Sahib one finds Mahant Kahan Singh Ji still straightening white sheets in the Main Divan Hall or teaching children Gurbani in his room. He is considered one of the most eminent scholars of the Sikh Scriptures today.
Early life
Mahant Kahan Singh Ji was born on September 15, 1943 at Dullewala, in district Mianwali, now in Pakistan. His father, Bhai Deep Singh was a devout Amritdhari Sikh who had been been baptized by Khande Ki Pahul. He was a deeply spiritual man who recited Gurbani regularly. When India was partitioned, young Bhai Kahan Singh was barely four years old. His father brought him and the rest of their family to India and settled near Chheratha(near Amritsar). A few months later the family moved to Goniana Mandi, a renowned grain and cotton market in district Bathinda(Punjab). In 1948, by great good fortune, or as willed by Akal Purakh Vaheguru, young Bhai Kahan Singh has a chance to meet Mahant Gulab Singh Ji, following which he visited Tikana Sahib a few times. In 1950, his parents assigned him to serve at the Tikana Sahib permanently. Subsequently, Mahant Bhai Asa Singh Ji got him enrolled in a Primary School for a few years and then decided to shift his education back to the Tikana Sahib by arranging a private tutor, Bhai Pokhar Dass coached young Bhai Kahan Singh in Gurmukhi and Gurbani. Mahant Asa Singh Ji paid special attention to his progress. Under his watchful eye and keen guidance from his tutor, young Bhai Kahan Singh memorized several compositions of the Gurbani, namely, Sukhmani Sahib, Japji Sahib, Baawan Akhri, Anand Sahib, Kirtan Sohila and Rehras Sahib. Mahant Asa Singh Ji further encouraged him to receive etymological knowledge and learn annotation of Sikh Scriptures and under his supervision young Bhai Kahan Singh blossomed into a excellent scholar. He also learned to play the harmonium and the tabla and started to attend classes on exegesis of the scriptures like the Guru Granth Sahib, Suraj Prakash and Sant Rattan Mala etc. He became such an expert on exegesis that Mahant Sahib initiated a program to enlighten a very dedicated sangat, with the exegetical annotation of the Guru Granth Sahib from the very beginning to the end. This endeavor took several years each time. The third time Sant Bhai Kahan Singh Ji played a major role in the process that took '9 years'. The exegetical annotation is being performed for a fourth time now and Mahant Baba Kahan Singh Ji is the main helmsman in this extraordinary effort. He was baptised by the Khande Ki Pahul in 1958 and since then he has inspired thousands of Sikhs to do the same.
Mahant Sahib was a praiseworthy disciple, totally devoted to fulfilling his Master's commands will love and alert in his service. He was always obedient and spent most of his spare time attending to Mahant Asa Singh Ji. For 23 years Mahant Sahib slept on the floor and never lay on the cot while serving Mahant Asa Singh Ji. Whenever there was a construction project at the Tikana Sahib, Sant Bhai Kahan Singh Ji, was a selfless laborer. He worked harder and longer hours than the paid laborers.
He has been conducting divinity classes for young school children and college students students for almost 4 decades now and he is very diligent in holding annual competitions on the subject of divinty, encouraging students with generous prizes and scholarships.
Mahant Sahib has over the years arranged many huge pilgrimage tours by chartering 'whole trains' for devotees, arranging to visit historical Sikh Gurdwaras and Takhats etc.
