Bankhandi
Bankhandi (1807 or 1808–1863), commonly referred to as Baba Bankhandi Maharaj honorifically[1], was an Udasi missionary and saint who founded Sadh Belo in 1823.[2][3][4][5]
Baba Bankhandi Maharaj | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Bankhandi from Sakhar Soonharo (1940) by Parsram Veerumal Masand | |
| Gaddi Nashin of Sadh Belo | |
| In office 1823 – 1863 | |
| Preceded by | none (position established) |
| Succeeded by | Swami Achal Prasad |
| Personal | |
| Born | Balchand Sharma 1807 or 1808 Nepal or Kero Khetar near Delhi |
| Died | 1863 Sadh Belo, Sukkur, Sindh |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Sect | Udasi Bakhshishāṅ (Mihanshahi branch) |
| Part of a series on |
| Udasi |
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Biography
Bankhandi, who was born as Balchand Sharma, was originally said to hail from either Nepal or Kero Khetar near Dehli.[3][2] He became an Udasi missionary and belonged to the Bakhshishāṅ subsect (specifically the Mihanshahi branch).[6] He moved to a heavily forested island in Sukkur, Sindh on the Indus River called Menak Parbat in 1823 at the age of 15.[3] He took a liking to his newfound environment, where he established a dhuni (location for a sacred fire).[5] There he founded Sadh Belo, which grew to become a major centre of spirituality and learning for the Udasi sect.[7][1] Bankhandi established places of worship for various Indic deities, such as Annuparna, Ganesha, Shiva, and Hanuman.[5] He also constructed places where the Guru Granth Sahib was kept.[5] He is said to have died in 1863.[7] A temple dedicated to him was constructed in 1899 by the eight successor (gaddi nashin), Sant Harnam Das.[3][2] It remains a popular pilgrimage site today.[6]
References
- Kalhoro, Zulfiqar Ali (26 May 2013). "The Sikhs of Sindh". Originally published on The Friday Times, republished on SikhChic.
- Memon, Sarfaraz (26 June 2022). "Sindh's Sadh Belo Temple". T-Magazine.
- Rasheed, Shaikh Abdul (2017-09-18). "Sadh Belo Temple the most frequented religious site". Daily Times. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
- "Sadhu Bela: Pakistan's temple island you won't forget". gulfnews.com.
- Jatt, Zahida Rehman (June 12, 2018). "Sadh Belo temple: an abode of Udasipanth in Sindh". dawn.com.
- Singh, Harbans (2004). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4 (2nd ed.). Punjabi University, Patiala. pp. 6, 377. ISBN 0-8364-2883-8. OCLC 29703420.
- Mahn, Churnjeet; Murphy, Anne, eds. (2018). Partition and the practice of memory. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 47. ISBN 978-3-319-64516-2.
