SikhiWiki:Today's featured article/July 19, 2009
Pingalwara was the name given to a humble house for the destitute in Amritsar in northern Indian state of Punjab.
Sikhism promotes a duty of care for the weak in society; this institute is a result of the vision of one person derived from the words of the Sikh Gurus on this issue.
In the early 1900's, it was an original idea of the founder, Bhagat Puran Singh to catered for the people who had been rejected by society.
It was initially an ad-hoc facility for the disabled; the mentally ill; the dispossessed; generally for people who were no longer accepted by anyone in society.
Bhagat Puran Singh built this institute literally single-handed with the ideals of his mother as his driving force; the message of Gurbani as a beckon and the generosity of the Punjabi society as his safety net and hunting ground. He begged; worked as hard as he physically and mentally could; resorted to whatever options were available to care and provide for his "patients" just like a father or mother would care and provide for his children.
No barrier or hurdle could stop him in his effort to care for these "community rejects". He left no stone unturned to bring some dignity to the lives of individuals who had no one in this world except this saint. .....More
