Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj ordained the birth of His Sant Sura (Dauntless Mighty Saint), Attar Singh Ji Maharaj in this world at a very crucial time. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the whole of Sikh community in the British Regime was passing through 4 period of great catastrophic turmoil. The population of Sikhs in its continuous decline was reduced from ten million to a microscopic number of only about one million. The grimness of the situation in 1866 AD went to the extent that the British Ruler, through their Secret Department of Intelligence, issued instructions that the photographs of diverse sects of Sikhs might be taken $0 as to preserve them in the museums, as there was likelihood of almost complete annihilation of Sikh community by 1900 AD. The Britishers had also anticipated the conversion of the Holy Place of Harmandir Sahib into a Church by that time. To rear up and preserve this plant of *Sikhism’, the birth of His dearest of the dear dauntless mighty Saint, Sant Attar Singh Ji was ordained in this world, the allusion of which comes in “Sau Sakhi * (a book of hundred religious stories with futuristic projections). Sant Attar Singh Ji Maharaj was entrusted with three major responsibilities by the Kalgidhar Patshah:
- Preaching of Gurbani as Shabad Guru
- Baptizing the Sikhs with holy Amrit and making them Gursikhs.
- Combining the teaching of spiritual knowledge with worldly scientific knowledge so as to produce a true Sant Khalsa (Gursikh)
Sant Attar Singh Ji Maharaj was born to mother Bholi Ji and father Karam Singh Ji, in village Cheema, District Sangnuir, Punjab State of India on 28 March1866 AD. He acquired the skill of reading Punjabi language from Buta Singh Jim the village Hermitage (Dera). He assisted his father in attending to a number of domestic activities would graze cattle and cultivate fields. After seeking the permission of his mother, and under the Divine Commandment, ul the age of 17 years, got him recruited in the Indian Army. He was baptized in the Anny itself by Panj Pyaras and thereby he pledged to live within the bounds of Divine discipline of Waheguru. He left the Army in 1888 AD and undertook a long arduous journey as a pedestrian right from Dera Ghazi Khan (now in Pakistan) to Hazoor Sahib, Nanded (Maharashtra). In his devotional mood, Sant Ji went on marching throughout his travels daily for a hundred miles at a stretch, uttering Wahe on lifting the left and Guru with the right foot.
At Hazoor Sahib, he mediated on the Divine Name Waheguru endlessly for about two years and also recited countless number of times Japuji Sahib, Mool Mantar, Gur shabads with deep devotion. Again the same way, he came to Hardwar and finally Rishikesh where he continued the recitation of the Divine Name for one year. He then went to his village Cheema after seven years, stayed there in his fields for three months and taught his mother to recite Japuji Sahib. After that he was on his way to Panja Sahib, he stayed with Bhai Gurmukh Singh Ji at village Shahan Dij Dheri, on his request, for a span of nine months. During this period he continually completed recitation of Guru Granth Sahib for numerous times.
After pilgrimage to Panja Sahib and meditating for a few months in the secluded hills of Kohmari Mountain, Sant Ji settled in a jungle area of village Kanoha (now in Pakistan). He mediated at this place with intense love and drank deep at the fountain of Gurbani, for 40 days without eating anything, at a stretch, then for six months and again for one full year in complete unison with the Eternal Reality, Bhai Wazir Singh Ji and his wife Maai Bhag Bhari served him with devotion during his stay at Kanoha.
After this great penance and meditation the news of ‘divinity of his soul’ spread all over the area and the seekers after truth in large numbers flocked to him to pay their obeisance. Shabad Kirtan and Guru Ka Langar were also started in a natural way. The seekers arranged religious congregations at different places to have spiritual blessings and guidance from Sant Ji. Soon after, Sant Ji happened to meet Sant Baba Sharn Singh Ji (also a Brahamgyani) when the latter requested Sant Ji to spread the Divine Name for eternal peace throughout the world, It was Sant Attar Singh Ji, who for the first time, openly preached the method and mode of reciting ‘Satnam Waheguru’, to all the seekers irrespective of caste, Creed, race or color. He had his countless devotees attached to the divine Name of God (Waheguru) in a number of regions of India such as Pothohar (Rawalpindi), Malwa, Doaba, Majha and Delhi. He always stressed in his preaching’s that he was NOT the incarnation of Guru.
He got various holy structures such as ‘Guru Sagar, Mastuana’, and ‘Guru Kashi, Damdama Sahib’, and number of other Gurdwara, at different places erected with the cooperation and service of numerous devotees The mighty Saint baptized approximately fourteen lakhs of Sikhs in the symbolic process of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and religiously attached them to Guru and thus made them Gursikhs. He did gigantic service in the field of education. He set up a school for girls in 1906 AD and thereafter a school for boys and the Akal Degree College at Mastuana. He established series of schools and colleges in different areas at different places; He invariably attended every Sikh Educational Conference and gave spiritual guidance to all. On being entreated by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya a great social thinker and social reformer, of his time, and a number of Rajas and Maharajas, he condescended to lay the foundation stone of the first Sanskrit College at Banaras Hindu University. He made Mastuana Sahib a key center for the growth of Sikhism and imparting of temporal education combined with spiritual education based on Guru Nanak’s religious philosophy complying with the commandment of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, He breathed his last on 31 March 1927 and his “self” became one with ‘self.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 10, 1996
