The Multifarious Faces of Sikhism
throughout Sikh History
Page 3 of 3
Bandai
Khalsa cont'd
The Khalsa, split by internal conflict, was
eventually defeated by the Moghals and Banda
was captured in December 1715. At the age of
46, he and his captured men died a heroic death
in Delhi in 1716.
Banda Bahadur
The seal and edict of Banda Bahadur
Another parallel avenue of thought holds that
Banda, through his immense knowledge of Yogic
breathing exercises of ‘Pranayam’,
faked his death. Banda had undergone terrible
mutilation at the hands of the Moghals who had
torn off his flesh by hot pincers. As his apparently
lifeless corpse was left at the banks of the
river Jamuna by the Moghals, some Bandai Khalsa,
disguised as Muslims retrieved the body and
brought it to his wife, Ram Daiee.
Ram Daiee, using traditional methods of healing
awakened him. Banda went into hiding for the
rest of his life in the state of Jamu. This
above tale has been taken from ‘Twarikh
Guru Khalsa’, but variations
of this account can be found in 'Pracheen
Panth Prakash' and 'Mahan Kosh'.
Hukamnama
A Hukamnama (edict) of Banda Bahadur to Bhai
Dharam
Singh and Bhai Param Singh of village Bhai Rupa,
circa 18th century
After Banda, there was a short but bloody conflict
between the remaining Bandai Khalsa and Tat
Khalsa. The Tat Khalsa Akali Nihangs won, and
the majority of the defeated Bandai Khalsa were
made to eat ‘Dalley’
(meat) in order to accept them back into the
Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa ranks. Other Bandi
Khalsa faded into obscurity and established
themselves in Jamu with Banda’s second
wife and his son Ranjit/Ajit Singh.
Dalley
Nihang Singhs in 'Kulla Baana' (every-day clothes)
cut 'Dalley' from a goat killed by 'Chatka'
Ranjit Singh was succeeded by his son, Jujhar
Singh, who was in turn succeeded by his son,
Fateh Singh. The descendants of Jujhar Singh’s
younger brother, Zorawar Singh, became the successors
to the pontiff ship of Banda.
On 6th April 1948, a Sikh named Sardool Singh
Bandi succeeded a one Teja Singh as the leader
of the Bandai Khalsa. In the late 1970’s,
his son, Jatinderpal Singh, a resident of Rohtak
village was named as the leader of the Bandai.
Early last century, Pandit Ganesha Singh Nirmala
spoke of the Bandai:
‘They initiate
through ‘Charna Amrit’, keep
‘Janju’ (Hindu caste string
signifying Brahmin lineage), wear white
clothes, black or green clothes they never
wear, they wear breaches coming below knee.
On meeting they say, ‘Darshan Ji Ka
Khalsa Darshan Ji Ki Fateh’. At the
end of their name they either have title
of Singh or Das.’ ‘Bharat
Mat Darpan’, by Pandit Ganesha Singh
Nirmala, 1926, Pa. 234
