u/JustMyPoint

The hand print is most definitely of the Jammu ruler to officiate/legitimize the correspondence. Dated the 18th of Bhadon of the Sastra year 59 (1783 AD). This letter was evident an immediate result of the conquest of Basohli by Raja Raj Singh of Chamba which took place in 1782.

Kept in the collection of the Bhuri SIngh Museum of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India (acc. no. 08-102-12)

Published in: 'Takri documents Relating to the History of Western Himalaya' by Vishwa Chander Ohri and Vijay Sharma

The hand print is most definitely of the Jammu ruler to officiate/legitimize the correspondence. Dated the 18th of Bhadon of the Sastra year 59 (1783 AD). This letter was evident an immediate result of the conquest of Basohli by Raja Raj Singh of Chamba which took place in 1782.

Kept in the collection of the Bhuri SIngh Museum of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India (acc. no. 08-102-12)

Published in: 'Takri documents Relating to the History of Western Himalaya' by Vishwa Chander Ohri and Vijay Sharma

Pretty fascinating artwork. We can see the Guru Sahiban depicted, along with the Chaar Sahibzade, Baba Sri Chand, Baba Lakhmi Das, Bhai Mardana, and Bhai Bala. More controversially (especially in today's age), some Indic deities are depicted showering blessings upon the Sikh figures below, a homage to a lost time when there was more syncretism and fluidity between religions in Panjab. There are identifying inscriptions written in Nastaliq Urdu, the official, administrative language used in colonial British Panjab. If anyone can identify the author based on the inscribed cypher, please let me know.

So I was in a Pokémon battle with a bird keeper on the route to the right of Fuschia City and had a Ditto in my party. The bird keeper first sends out a level 28 Dodrio so I sent out my Ditto who transformed into Dodrio but recalled it after its HP became low and ended up sending out another Pokémon to finish off his Dodrio. After this, the bird keeper sent out his second Pokémon, a level 28 Doduo which I defeated using other Pokémon. However, when he sent out his third and last Pokémon, another level 28 Doduo, I switched to my Ditto but when I tried to transform again, everything became glitched like this. His Doduo fainted twice in the glitch messiness but he seems to never run out of them and I get extremely large amount of EXP after each glitched Doduo faints. What is going on here? Do I have to reset or is there a way to end this seemingly infinite battle? This is my first time experiencing something like this despite me playing this game for years (had the original cartridge as a kid as well). I can’t say I have ever used Ditto that much until now so I guess it’s Ditto causing the glitch somehow.

The long-awaited (for years now) new website for Panjab Digital Library has finally been released. It is available at: https://www.panjabdigilib.org/

I haven’t received a StreetPass in over a decade (on my old original black 3DS). I haven’t played my 3DS in years and just started playing it again last night randomly. I decided to leave it on idle today just in case there’s a minuscule chance I get a StreetPass and when I checked it after watching the FIFA World Cup game, I noticed the green indicator light was on! Completely stunned to have received a StreetPass well after the 3DS’s height/popularity. I live in a exurb/suburb in Canada so not the place where you’d expect to get a random StreetPass either. I guess one of my neighbours still plays the 3DS. Hopefully this motivates others to dust off their old 3DS sitting in a drawer and closet so we have more StreetPasses going around.

At the Central Sikh Museum (Kendri Sikh Ajaibghar) in Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar Jio lays a treasure of the Sikh school of art. Painted by the mysterious Mehtab Singh Naqqash, this is one of the few historical Sikh artworks whose creator is known. What is wonderfully useful about this piece, an overhead perspective of the Darbar Sahib complex, is it depicts the site as it existed during Sikh-rule, with all the bungas (hospices) and auxiliary structures being marked and inscribed with identifying names and other useful marks. It is truly a remarkable and informative piece of Sikh heritage, created by a little known artist whose name has been forgotten by most. We can see many palaces which have since been demolished and trees which have long since been cut-down.

Rare drawings by the Sikh artist Kehar Singh (circa 19th century):

1. A qalandar with his animals (bears?)

2. A Panjabi Brahmin

3. A Nihang and Nihangini

4. Potters (possibly Kumhars?)

Rare drawings by the Sikh artist Kehar Singh (circa 19th century):

1. A qalandar with his animals (bears?)

2. A Panjabi Brahmin

3. A Nihang and Nihangini

4. Potters (possibly Kumhars?)

Reading about the Anglo-Sikh Wars is always an infuriating experience for me because the Sikhs were so close to escaping colonialism but unfortunately, we were betrayed by our leaders and we failed to uphold the Khalsa tenets that made us great. While it is easy to opt to blaming our internal betrayers, the Dogras and Brahmins to name a couple, or external foes like the British, we really have to look internally at ourselves for the reasons why our kingdom fell and we are in our current predicament as a state-less community. Our leaders cared more for preserving their power and wealth than the longevity of the community as a whole. They woefully trusted those who wished to destroy them and neglected their religion's doctrines which made us great in the first place.

These are great reads for learning more about this troubled chapter from the annals of Sikh history:

1. The Fall of the Kingdom of Punjab by Khushwant Singh. You can read the 2014 digital edition for free at: https://apnaorg.com/books/english/the-fall-of-the-kingdom-of-the-punjab/the-fall-of-the-kingdom-of-the-punjab.pdf
2. The Sikhs (2000) by Patwant Singh

Reading about the Anglo-Sikh Wars is always an infuriating experience for me because the Sikhs were so close to escaping colonialism but unfortunately, we were betrayed by our leaders and we failed to uphold the Khalsa tenets that made us great. While it is easy to opt to blaming our internal betrayers, the Dogras and Brahmins to name a couple, or external foes like the British, we really have to look internally at ourselves for the reasons why our kingdom fell and we are in our current predicament as a state-less community. Our leaders cared more for preserving their power and wealth than the longevity of the community as a whole. They woefully trusted those who wished to destroy them and neglected their religion's doctrines which made us great in the first place.

These are great reads for learning more about this troubled chapter from the annals of Sikh history:

1. The Fall of the Kingdom of Punjab by Khushwant Singh. You can read the 2014 digital edition for free at: https://apnaorg.com/books/english/the-fall-of-the-kingdom-of-the-punjab/the-fall-of-the-kingdom-of-the-punjab.pdf
2. The Sikhs (2000) by Patwant Singh

The religious orders of Patiala: In around 1933, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala founded two orders for the princely-state,

1. The Order of Krishna (Yadu Vansha Manya Mandal) consisting of the Maharaja as Sovereign Grand Master, Ordinary and Honorary Members. Awarded to Hindus and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

2. The Order of the Holy Saint (Guru Ghar Manya Mandal) consisting of the Sovereign Grand Master, Members and Honorary Members. Awarded to Sikhs and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

The Krishna order features an enamel portrait of Radha-Krishna that is inscribed as “The Bestower of Happiness” and “King of the West”. The Sikh order features an enamel portrait of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji inscribed with the phrases “One God, Grace, Challenger, Victory” and “The True King”. The orders were displayed and worn as elaborate collars, neck-badges, sash-badges, and breast-stars. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was an avid collector of medals and insignias, with his collection consisting of around 3,000 items.

The religious orders of Patiala: In around 1933, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala founded two orders for the princely-state,

1. The Order of Krishna (Yadu Vansha Manya Mandal) consisting of the Maharaja as Sovereign Grand Master, Ordinary and Honorary Members. Awarded to Hindus and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

2. The Order of the Holy Saint (Guru Ghar Manya Mandal) consisting of the Sovereign Grand Master, Members and Honorary Members. Awarded to Sikhs and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

The Krishna order features an enamel portrait of Radha-Krishna that is inscribed as “The Bestower of Happiness” and “King of the West”. The Sikh order features an enamel portrait of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji inscribed with the phrases “One God, Grace, Challenger, Victory” and “The True King”. The orders were displayed and worn as elaborate collars, neck-badges, sash-badges, and breast-stars. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was an avid collector of medals and insignias, with his collection consisting of around 3,000 items.

The religious orders of Patiala: In around 1933, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala founded two orders for the princely-state,

1. The Order of Krishna (Yadu Vansha Manya Mandal) consisting of the Maharaja as Sovereign Grand Master, Ordinary and Honorary Members. Awarded to Hindus and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

2. The Order of the Holy Saint (Guru Ghar Manya Mandal) consisting of the Sovereign Grand Master, Members and Honorary Members. Awarded to Sikhs and limited to five recipients at any one time, including foreign Sovereigns and their consorts, ruling Princes, Heirs Apparent, and Ministers of State.

The Krishna order features an enamel portrait of Radha-Krishna that is inscribed as “The Bestower of Happiness” and “King of the West”. The Sikh order features an enamel portrait of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji inscribed with the phrases “One God, Grace, Challenger, Victory” and “The True King”. The orders were displayed and worn as elaborate collars, neck-badges, sash-badges, and breast-stars. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was an avid collector of medals and insignias, with his collection consisting of around 3,000 items.

Bhai Gurmukh Singh was a professor of Panjabi at Oriental College in Lahore who had humble origins from Kapurthala, where his father was a cook for the local ruling dynasty. He was the founder of the reformist Lahore Singh Sabha in 1879, whom were opposed to the traditionalist Amritsar Singh Sabha. Facing the challenges posed by Christian missionaries, the Arya-Samaj, & Muslim anjumans, Gurmukh Singh spear-headed a movement to safeguard the interest of the Sikhs & preserve their distinct identity. He was very successful, with these reformist views being spread in his Khalsa Akbar periodical.

For his views, he was ex-communicated by the Akal Takht in 1887 (due to pressure from the rival Amritsar Sabha), a move that was bitterly opposed by many Sikhs, such as Bhai Gurdit Singh, Giani Ditt Singh, and Bhai Kahn Singh of Nabha, who defended Gurmukh Singh from his detractors. In fact, Gurmukh Singh brought Ditt Singh and Bhai Jawahir Singh into the fold of Sikhi, away from the Arya Samaj. Many of his enemies were among the old elite-classes, composed of landed gentry and aristocrats who feared the egalitarian message of the Lahore Sabha and its anti-caste views as threats to their power and influence, such as Khem Singh Bedi, whom often quarrelled with Gurmukh Singh, such as when Bedi sat on a cushion in the presence of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Gurmukh Singh was a strong critic of the Faridkot Tika, an exegesis of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji compiled under the Nirmalas, believing it to be a corrupted by Sanatanist interpretations. Gurmukh Singh wrote a few books and founded quite a number of newspapers/periodicals for the community. He was instrumental in the founding of Khalsa College, Amritsar - he had always advocated for Sikhs having an opportunity of a proper education so the community could rise above its current depressed state and reclaim its former glory.

The Lahore Singh Sabha rose to prominence & became the most popular faction of the Sikhs in the early colonial-period. Gurmukh Singh died of a heart attack in 1898 but his life-mission was carried-on by his successors and his legacy remains.

Credits: First photograph shared by Satinder Singh of Khalsa Marg and the second by Harmilan Singh (Tawarikh_e_Punjab on IG).