Panth Rattan Singh Sahib Jathedar Nihang Baba Santa Singh Ji Akali 96 Krori

The at once immensely glorious and sometimes tragical history of Buddha Dal can best be summed up in the stoic spirit of it's great Jathedars who have repeatedly responded to threats of extinction with bold-faced defiance and valiant resurgence in the face of waning prospects.

Perhaps no Jathedar since the illustrious Akali Phoola Singh has been so instrumental in preserving the Ancient Khalsa traditions from the helm of fortitude as the great Baba Santa Singh has in an exemplific life of chivalric pride, spiritual piety and selfless service unto the Army of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj.

Early Life

Baba Santa Singh was born in the sleepy village-enclave of Gujranwala, which is the same noble town that gave birth to such legendary Sikhs as Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa.

Babaji was named Pashora Singh when he entered the world in 1928 in the religious home of Sardar Bhagwan Singh Chavleh and Mata Pritpal Kaur. From the very beginning Babaji's mind was drawn to religious pursuits and pious deeds, he was especially enamoured of the proud Sikh Military traditions and thus it was no surprise that his destiny brought him within the orbit of the Knights of God.

Baptism, Training and Service

And so it was that on Divali of 1935, at the tender age of seven, that Baba ji took the name Santa Singh when he underwent the rite of the sword from Buddha Dal at the scenic Tower of Akali Phoola Singh Burj from the veritable hands of Jathedar Baba Sahib Singh Kaladhari himself.

Now irrevocably changed, Babaji immediately took to a life of service in the battalion under Baba Chet Singh ji maintaining the langar and preparing Sukhnidhan da Degh for the soldierly saints of the base camp.

Indeed, such was his religious fervour and self-deprecating spirit that the elder Singhs of the battalion quickly realized his promise of high future prospects and had him enrolled in the amrit sanchar seva during Holla Mohalla--a high honour not so readily thrust upon untried shoulders. It was thus that Babaji readily fulfilled this duty while taking santhiya (hermeneutical tutoring) from Head Granthi Baba Sukhdev Singh of Buddha Dal, he would latter undertake a divine pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Hazur Sahib where he bent his head humbly before the Shrine of the Tenth King, it was in this vicinity that Babaji's spiritual life was forever changed when he came across the Memorial Temple of Mata Sahib Devan, at this sacred shrine he perchanced to meet the renowned Saint-Soldiers Baba Mitt Singh ji and Baba Dharam Singh ji, Baba ji was so drawn to this divine pair that he was seldom out of their holy sight, the merciful glances of these Saints of Buddha Dal continually fell upon the young Santa Singh like ambrosial rain, and it was under their sturdy tutelage that he devoted himself wholeheartedly unto the remembrance of the Lord with unbroken concentration. In fact the divine sage Akali Nihang Baba Mitt Singh ji showered such nectarous mercy upon Babaji that through his celestial telepathy he gave full divine knowledge and content to Baba Santa Singh in a blessed twinkling glance..

Baba Dharam Singh ji also presciently predicted that in the years to come, gatherings of thousands would convene to hear the spiritual lectures of Baba Santa Singh ji. After these divine encounters Babaji resolved to devote himself to the life of a wandering hermit, he thus travelled as a holy man doing immense penance in the forests and shrines of India until the year 1955 when he settled into the Temple at Gurdwara Damdama Sahib Patshiah Dasvin in the town of Kotkapoora where he was soon named mahant or head priest.

It was here that Baba Dharam Singh's true words began to shine forth in the life of Santa Singh ji for he now embarked upon a widespread regimen of katha (preaching) and santhiya (correct grammatical training) in the vicinity, he attened many religious Sikh and multifaith conferences and came into his own as an eminent scholar respected by people of all faiths and creeds. In due time the Malwa region of Punjab became his veritable stronghold and he soon convened many amrit sanchars in Ludhiana and Patiala bringing many converts into the Sikh fold.

Babaji also distinguished himself in the prominent cities of Punjab as an ardent and fearless warrior and sterling swordsman in the shastar-vidiya (battle completions) fairs held from time to time where he vanquished his opponents with regimental dexterity and feline quickness. His warrior-heart so shone in the competitions held at various akharas (martial training schools) and knightly academies that he was duly recognized as a true saint-soldier, sant-sipahi by all comers. In fact he only added to these feats of fearlessness and valor in the Holla Mohalla horse-riding displays where crowds revelled in his equestrian might.

Divine Jathedarship

In May ,1969 Jathedar Baba Chet Singh sadly passed on, but before doing so he named Baba Santa Singh as his worthy successor as the Jathedar of Shiromani Panth Akali Buddha Dal, this decision was ratified and fully formalized on May 8th at Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo where Dusshera was held, all battalions here agreed to their predecessor's injunction and duly crowned Babaji as the 13th Divine General of the Knights of God.

Babaji wasted no time in completely reforming and expanding the Dal's land holdings in Punjab and across India, he readily availed himself to ceaselessly construct Gurdwaras, Deras and Schools in these places where his preaching and travelling increased with doubled progress. Now that the land was cultivated there were enough resources to sustain the chaunnis in langar seva fully and so it was that many Singhs flocked to the reinvigorated Buddha Dal standard in droves. And so it was that Buddha Dal began to recover from the decline it had experienced in the wake of the Anglo-Sikh Wars and British persecution.

Locally, Babaji began a new regimen of doing large kathas daily, he would begin with a morning talk from Gurbani of Ad Darbar, Dasam Darbar or Sri Sarbloh Darbar and in the evenings especially on special events he would discourse on the historical granths like Suraj Prakash Granth and Prachin Panth Prakash, in fact his routine of nitnem, seva and katha became very rigorous and was always upheld throughout his life.

For the first time in Nihang History, Babaji took unprecedented steps to keep that Ancient Khalsa literary traditions alive, he did this by opening a printing press at Anandpur Sahib, and it is completely due to his efforts that the Sri Sarbloh Prakash emerged from the shadows of esotericism for untold centuries to be revealed unto the Sikh masses for it was he who transcribed and published Udasi Harnam Das's steek and transliteration on the said sacred scripture. Babaji thus gave a great gift to the Khalsa Panth which was further augumented by his innumerable articles, papers, santhiya lessons and conferences on the subject of Dasam Bani and it's promotion. Babaji also started a Nihang Newspaper and is especially respected for his scholarly elucidations on Pracheen Panth Prakash.

Babaji also had an arms factory of Nihang blacksmiths constructed in Patiala to serve his battalions. And his devotion to the education of the youth was soon realized in the construction of the world famous Buddha Dal Public School at the same place.

Perhaps Babaji's piety and knowledge can best be demonstrated in his personal remarks to Baba Joginder Singh ji, who as a young Nihang sought to leave home and hearth and wander as a bihangam serving the shrines of the Gurus and engaged in meditation and penance and subsisting thereby on alms alone. Babaji discouraged this and said "My son, asking for alms is not becoming of such an eminent Singh as thou, please rely on the Guru's Grace alone for provisions and whenever the thought of food arises in thy sacred mind, a Sikh will provide the same". Now as soon as Baba Joginder Singh ji took this advice to heart and commenced his meditations with this sage advice in mind he saw that Babaji's bachan (divine words) was revealed to be true as as soon as the thought of food came into his mind a Sikh of the Guru immediately fullfilled his need. After sitting for meditating for days without food, Sikhs started bringing forth and from then on langar (free kitchen) was established at that shrine. Baba Joginder Singh later succedded Babaji as the present head of Buddha Dal.

Indeed the most eminent scholars of Buddha Dal today like Giani Sher Singh and Giani Slukham Singh also were taught and tutored by Baba Santa Singh ji who also was a great curator of Puratan Birs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other ancient canonical works. He would study such manuscripts and publish his findings on authorial facts or minor discrepancies between the texts for other scholars of latter generations. Such valuable contributions are preserved on literary, historical and martial topics, in fact Babaji's wish of able dissemination freely worldwide of such writings was realized with the creation of the current website whereon it's sevadars are working hard to fully digitize his lectures on Prachin Panth Prakash.

A Sad Passing Mourned

Sadly after suffering a detour of declining health Babaji passed away on May 8th, 2008 (the same day he was given jathedari) leaving behind a proud legacy for future generations of sant-sipahis like Baba Joginder Singh ji and Jathedar Surjit Singh ji who continue his work to this day. Fittingly it was that Babaji's Dusshera-Bhog was held at Gurdwara Damdama Sahib Patshiah Dasvin, Kotkapoora where eminent saints and famous Sikhs gathered to address solemn prayers and memorial eulogies unto his great memory, Baba Trilok Singh ji of Tarna Dal faithfully remarked that Babaji would ceaselessly contemplate God's name with every breath day and night and would never be seen without a spinning rosary in his holy hand. The Khalsa Panth is still mourning the loss of this great Akali Nihang Jathedar whose valiant and pious life was exemplary of the warrior ways of spiritual leadership as embodied by his martial forbearers.