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Sant Isher Singh

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Sant
Isher Singh
Born
Isher Singh

(1905-08-05)5 August 1905
Patiala, Punjab, British India
Died26 August 1975(1975-08-26) (aged 70)
Other namesSant Ishar Singh Ji, Gulab Singh, Rara Sahib Wale
Occupations
  • Sikh Preacher
  • Writer
  • Religious Singer
OrganizationRara Sahib
Known forGurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib
TitleSant
PredecessorSant Baba Attar Singh
SuccessorSant Baba Kishan Singh
HonoursPortrait in the Central Sikh Museum
Signature

Sant Isher Singh (August 26, 1905 – August 9, 1975) also spelt as Sant Ishar Singh, was a Sikh saint (sant), preacher, singer, and writer from the Rara Sahib region of Punjab, India.[1][2]

Early life and education

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He was born in Alowal, a small village in the Rupnagar district of Punjab, to Baba Ram Singh, a farmer, and Mata Rattan Kaur, a homemaker.[3][4][5] From a young age, he was involved in reading religious texts, attending kirtans and other religious events.[6][7][8]

Rara Sahib Gurdwara in Ludhiana, Punjab

Life work

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Singh was acknowledged amongst Sikhs for religious preaching, Kirtan and literature. He gained further recognition for his mass Amrit Sanskar ceremonies for Sikh worshippers.[9] Between the 1950s to 1970s he frequently travelled to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Kingdom as part of his religious services. [10] [11] He was based in Rara Sahib, Ludhiana in which he established Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib. [12][13][14]

Singh and his followers established several charitable organizations, including the Sant Isher Singh Charitable Trust and the Sant Isher Singh Ji Memorial Public Trust, which provides education, healthcare and other essential services in India.[15][16][17]

Sant Ishar Singh Memorial Hospital

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In recent years, the Sant Ishar Singh Memorial Hospital in Rara Sahib, which was established by Isher Singh has played a role in medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. In May 2021, the hospital opened a 50-bedded COVID Care Centre to provide medical treatment to COVID-19 patients.[18]

Sant Isher Singh Ji Memorial Public School

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There is a school in Ludhiana named after him called Sant Isher Singh Ji Memorial Public School.[19][20]

Death

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On August 26, 1975, Singh passed away in England. As he practiced celibacy, he neither married nor had children.[21]

Sant Kishan Singh Ji became his successor of Rara Sahib.[22][3][23][24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib". Rara Sahib. Sant Isher Singh Ji was born of Mata Ratan Kaur, in the household of Sardar Ram Singh Nambardar, on 5th August 1905 at village Allowal, district Patiala. The parents named their son Gulab Singh. Nobody knew that one day this "Gulab" (meaning rose) would spread his fragrance far and wide. He received the basic worldly education from the primary School of village 'Chulela'.
  2. ^ "Tracks by Sant Baba Ishar Singh (Rara Sahib)". SikhNet.
  3. ^ a b "Sant Baba Ishar Singh (Rara Sahib)". Sikh Net.
  4. ^ "Never look at anyone's faults - Bachan Sant Isher Singh Ji Rara Sahib". Nihung Santhia. 6 August 2020.
  5. ^ Singh, Giani Mehar (2010). Nau Rattan (in Punjabi). Lahore Book Shop. p. 300.
  6. ^ Sahib, Rara (2019). 13 Diamonds: The Treasures of Bhai Daya Singh Ji. Biddles Books. p. 124. ISBN 9781913218188.
  7. ^ "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh". Sant Ishar Singh.
  8. ^ "Sant Ishar Singh Remembered". Tribune India. 26 August 2017. paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum to observe the 42nd death anniversary of Sant Ishar Singh Ji Maharaj of Rara Sahib on Frida
  9. ^ Virinder, Kalra; Purewal, Navtej (2020). Beyond Religion in India and Pakistan. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 110. ISBN 9781350041752. Sant Isher Singh gained his reputation for giving amrit [initiation into the Khalsa ceremony] to thousands of devotees and for an absolute belief in the Ad Granth.
  10. ^ Fenech, Louis E; Singh, Pashaura (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. OUP Oxford. p. 368. ISBN 9780191004117. Sant Ishar Singh Rarewale visited the UK to preach and indeed died there in 1975.
  11. ^ Centre, Sikh Cultural (1997). The Sikh Review. Vol. 517–528. p. 57. Sant Ishar Singh Ji, spent about three months and toured Uganda and Tangayika. He emphasised on Nairobi Sikhs to complete the Makindu Gurdwara.
  12. ^ "Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib". Rara Sahib.
  13. ^ Doabia, HS (1995). Life Stories of the Sikh Saints. Singh Bros. ISBN 9788172051433.
  14. ^ McLeod, WH (1987). The Sants. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 260. ISBN 9788120802773. Sant Ishar Singh commenced an ambitious Gurdwara project at Kaleran in 1950, a plan which achieved a speedy and splendid success thanks to reputation of the original Sant and the skill of his successor.
  15. ^ "SANT ISHER SINGH JI". Deg Teg Mission.
  16. ^ "Minister Jouramajra pays obeisance to Sant Baba Ishar Singh". BabuShashi. 25 August 2024. He also met Baba Baljinder Singh Rara Sahib and assured full support of the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.He also listened to the 'kirtan' or hymns there. The cabinet minister was also honored on the occasion.
  17. ^ "Badal Exhorts People To Stamp Out Social Maladies From The State". 5 Dariya News. 25 August 2013. .Paying rich tributes to Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji, the Chief Minister recalled the valuable contribution of Baba Ji in the social and religious fields. He said that Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji also played a key role in spreading the education in the backward regions of the state by opening a number of school and colleges
  18. ^ "50-bedded Covid Care Centre at Sant Ishar Singh Memorial Hospital Rara Sahib to start treatment from May 13 : Deputy Commissioner". 5 Dariya News. To augment the health infrastructure especially in the rural hinterland which has been witnessing a spurt in Covid infections, the district administration today stated that a 50-bedded Covid Care Centre would start its operations from Sant Ishar Singh Memorial Hospital, Rara Sahib (Ludhiana) from May 13, 2021
  19. ^ "Hosts Sant Isher Singh Ji school students hog limelight". The Tribune. 22 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Students serve people outside banks". The Tribune. 23 November 2016. Class XI students of Sant Ishar Singh Ji Memorial Public School Karamsar Rara Sahib served juice to those standing in long queues to get money from Punjab and Sind Bank PSB and UCO Bank in Karamsar Rara Sahib
  21. ^ "Experiences with Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji - Bhai Inderjit Singh Ji and Sunny Singh | Gurmukh Series". Basics of Sikhi.
  22. ^ "Ilford's Sikh community pen tribute to 'inspirational' leader Baba Ji". Illford Recorder. Baba Ji arrived in England in 1991 after spending 22 years in Rara Sahib, India. There, he devoted his life to serving the congregation under the guidance and teachings of the true saints, Sri Maan Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji and Sri Maan Sant Baba Kishan Singh Ji (Rara Sahib Wale).
  23. ^ Singh, Sant Ishar Singh. Ishwar Amolak Lal (in Punjabi and Gurmukhi). Rara Sahib.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  24. ^ Doabia, Harbans Singh (1995). Life Stories of The Sikh Saints. South Asia Books. p. 20. ISBN 8172051433.