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Son of Ishar Singh and Har Kaur, was born in 1883 at the village of
Lahri, in Hoshiarpur district. He was hardly five years old, when
his father died. He was brought up by his maternal grandfather, Nihal
Singh, at his village Dumeli. He received his early education from
a local Sikh priest, who also trained him in the singing of gurbani.
Dalip Singh was
a child with peculiar traits. He was fond of solitude. One day he
wentout and did not return home. He built for himself a cell (the
site, now called Baba Rana) for meditation. He was then a youth
of about twenty. He remained wrapped up in deep meditation for forty-eight
days in his cell. As he refused to return home, the residents of
the village built for him a cottage. He ground the grain into flour
and did his own cooking, refusing to accept food even from his own
mother. In his cottage, he started a small langar (free kitchen)
for the poor and needy.
He was convinced
that selfless service to fellow men was the essence of true religion
and the highest worship of the Almighty. Whenever he came across
a disabled, blind, dumb, lame, sick or orphaned child, he brought
him to his cottage and looked after him. He brought up many such
children and trained them for earning their livelihood. Sant Sarvan
Singh Ghandhari, born blind, and Giani Harbans Singh born a cripple,
who are now running the dera of Sant Baba Dalip Singh, grew up under
his care. The former was enabled to earn his Master's degree in
Music (Classical and Instrumental) and the latter to qualify for
practice in the indigenous system of medicine.
Baba Dalip Singh
combined with his saintly disposition a revolutionary urge gave
shelter to the Babar Akalis engaged in anti-government activities
and provided them with food and money. He himself took part in the
Akali movement and led a jatha during the Jaito morcha.
During the Hindu-Muslim riots in 1947, he saved the lives of many
Muslims at great personal risk. Sant
Dalip Singh died in 1948. Apart from the dera he founded, a Khalsa
College at Dumeli commemorates his name.
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