Baba Isher Singh (Nanaksar Kaleran )

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Name - Baba Ishar Singh Ji (Inder Singh ) Father' Name - S. Bagga Singh Mother's Name - Mata Partap Kaur Date of Birth - 13th Chet 1913 AD Place of Birth - Village Jhoraran,District. Ludhiana (Punjab) Live Samadhi - 7th October 1963 (age of 48 Years)

Childhood

Inder Singh, his childhood name, had four brothers and two sisters. Even as a child he was very soft spoken, of kind temperament and showed a very helpful attitude. He was very fond of listening to the historical accounts of the guru’s lifes and the stories of the lives of smithy persons. That is why, perhaps, he never liked to indulge in any 'silly' play things or games that most children are fond of. Instead of jumping and playing around with boys of his age, he would rather spend time meditating on the formless god, in a secluded and calm place.

When he was five years old, he was sent to a school in the nearby village of Nathowal to study. But he could never keep his mind on the studies. Even though a few residents of his village and his elder brother S. Phagan Singh tried their best to educate him, but no one could infuse any interest in mundane matters in his detached and restless mind. All their efforts to put him through school to acquire the normal basic education deemed necessary by village society drove him even further from books attracting him more towards Godly matters. At last he was asked to join in the family occupation of agriculture and with some succcess he did this work with great devotion for many years. While he kept his hands busy in work his mind always wandered from worldly business towards God, his detached and restless mind was ever in search of a complete saint and a holy man to guide him to God.

His depressed, unattached, austere and troubled state of mind could easily be read on his face. So inspite of his involvement in the family's work, he would ever be on the look out for a noble and pious soul visiting his or any nearby village. Whenever he had the chance to shed his work and reach the benign presence of a holy man, he would often say, “You be friend holy man, they will make you their own. Making God your friend will make everyone else your friend too. The world is full of selfish friends, out world friend, false friends deceitful friends; but Guru Nanak is our only true friend. Make those people your own who would not separate from you here or there, the world beyond. Those who would help us associate ourselves with the feet of Guru Nanak".

He was only ten or eleven years old when good deeds of a past life bore fruit when Baba Nand Singh ji Kaleranwale, a complete celestial master visited his village. He made it a point to attend the Baba's congregation both in body and mind. During this period he would perform service of a water carrier in the cookhouse and also fan the holy congregation with devotion and love. Thereafter, he started visiting Nanaksar Kaleran every day along with other devotees to hold a glimpse of Baba Nand Singh ji. He would often stay there for many days performing voluntary service.

Thus he developed ever increasing attachment with Divinity. After three years when Baba ji visited his village again, he was attracted so much that he left his home for good in favour of the house of the Lord. He partook of Khande ki Pahul from Baba ji and started earnestly to achieve the higher state of knowledge through worship, penance, meditation, discipline and austerity. He would spend much time doing service for the holy congregation. (To be Continued)

Holy Education

Seeing this tendency, Baba ji sent him to the care of his teacher Baba Wadhawa Singh ji of Lehra Khana, in order to study spirituality. He completed this education in many years stay there. Then he returned to the abode of Baba ji at Kaleran and took up service there. Baba ji was very happy to see his love and involved study of Gurbani.

During this period, his name was changed from Inder Singh to Ishar Singh. He was every busy in the care and service, forgetting his self completely. He could neither wear socks non-shoes in his feet. His heels had developed cracks, which were as wide to accommodate small stones in them. He had made no hut for his rest. Whenever he found sometime for rest, (specially when Baba Nand Singh ji would be busy in reciting his daily prayers) he would sit outside his gate best he is called by Baba ji at anytime. Whenever called, he would rush to his holy presence, often hitting his forehead into the pillar or wall. He would develop bumps in the forehead, yet rush to attend to Baba ji order. At last he reached a stage of oneness with Baba ji. Many a time when Baba ji would just think by something or desire something (like milk, curd or curd milk), Baba Ishar Singh ji would have the item in his hand to deliver. Baba Nand Singh ji would often make a mention of it during the daily assembly. Baba Ishar Singh would be ever ready to perform service. Perpetual service had caused the nails of some of his fingers uprooted – the hands that later blessed many rich and poor people alike. If, he ever extended his hand towards someone, that man would forget all about himself and go into a different state of mind. He would often experience an electric current running in to his body. That would bring to the all his sins and make him cry in order to commence his lift of penance to wash off the past ill deeds.

TUrban To Baba Ji

After the departure of Baba Nand Singh for his heavenly separation. On the tenth day of his demise, the Sangat (holy gathering) offered him turban, symbolic of dawning the mentle of his successor to continue with the Divine work, but he was still in a state of shock at the departure of his dear one.

For sometime, Baba Ishar Singh ji remained busy with worship at Dehra Dun. Baba Kundan Singh Baba Sadhu Singh ji. The head ministrel, Baba Kehar Singh ji, Inder Singh (Jodiwala) and Jaswant Singh Lamejat purwale were with him. For seven years Baba Ishar Singh ji meditated in the under ground room at Jhoran. Baba Narain Singh ji constructed a thirteen storey ‘Thath’ at this very place, in order to attach the Sangat with Guru Granth Sahib ji the embodiment of Guru Nanak in accordance with the code established and practiced by Baba Nand Singh ji. Baba Ishar Singh Ji started discourses and ‘Kirtan’. People thronged the place to listen to Baba ji.

Sarovar Sewa

On 13th Mar 1950, he commenced work of digging up a ‘Sarovar’ (pond) at Nanksar Thath Kaleran. The engineer and mason but with the kind grace of Guru Nanak, Baba ji could complete the work in 28 days and declared it open for bathing by the Sangat. He also commenced work on the underground room where Baba Nand Singh ji used to pray and worship. After some more time, he got a five storied thath completed and covered its dome with gold plates. The main congregation hall and The Baradari (place with twelve doors) too was completed at a fast pace by the ever-increasing voluntary service of people of the villages around. Baba Ishar Singh ji completed all this miraculously in a short span of time.

The important thing to note is that he never asked for a penny from any one for completing all these works. He did not even permit any of his mendicant to collect money for these tasks. He would often say in holy congregation that he has never touched a currency note so far in his life even just to see what it feels like. Sangat used to take care of the meals as well as all material required for construction.

Maryada Of Nanak Sar

Baba ji enforced the following of set code of conduct of Nanaksar Kaleran and other ‘Thaths’ with equal fervour so as to bring in uniformity and innate oneness among the sangat at all places. Similarly he extended the practices and norms set up by Baba Nand Singh and followed the laid down code for Paths (recitation of Gurbani) Katha (discourses), Kirtan (singing of holy hymns) at various functions. Punctuality and sticking to the laid down rules was his main principal. He would pay particular attention to the service of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, cleanliness of the assembly hall and its decorations. He would ask sewadars (volunteers) and inmates of the Dehra to ensure strict compliance of the rules, code of conduct and other instructions laid down from time to time. One can say that the small orchard of Sikhism that he had looked after for twenty years has now blossoming in to a full-fledged garden in the country and abroad and spreading out the sweet fragrance of the philosophy of Guru Nanak.