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 life | |
| Born | Balchand Sharma 1763 (1763) Nepal or Kero Khetar near Delhi |
| Died | 1863 (aged 99–100) Sadh Belo, Sukkur, Sindh |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Sect | Udasi Bakhshishāṅ (Mihanshahi branch) |
Bankhandi (1763 – 1863), commonly referred to as Baba Bankhandi Maharaj honorifically1, also spelt Vankhandi,2 was an Udasi missionary and saint who founded Sadh Belo in 1823.3456 Bankhandi was a missionary and preacher of the Mihanshahi sub-sect of the Udasis.7
Biography
Bankhandi, who was born as Balchandra, was originally a Gaur Brahmin said to hail from Kurukshetra (in Haryana).8 Other sources claim he was born as Balchand Sharma, and was originally said to hail from either Nepal or Kero Khetar near Dehli.43 According to Sarmukh Singh Amole, he was born in 1763 whilst other sources give a year of birth ranging from 1807–1808.7
He became an Udasi missionary and belonged to the Bakhshishāṅ subsect (specifically the Mihanshahi branch).9 He moved to a heavily forested island in Sukkur, Sindh on the Indus River called Menak Parbat in 1823 at the age of 15.4 He took a liking to his newfound environment, where he established a dhuni (location for a sacred fire).6 There he founded Sadh Belo, which grew to become a major centre of spirituality and learning for the Udasi sect.101 He established a hut (kutiya) there on the mound.2 Bankhandi established places of worship for various Indic deities, such as Annuparna, Ganesha, Shiva, and Hanuman.6 He also constructed places where the Guru Granth Sahib was kept.6 It is believed that Bankhandi had been bestowed with a bowl (kamandalu) by the goddess Annapoorna that had divine properties.2 He is said to have died in 1863.107 A temple dedicated to him was constructed in 1899 by the eight successor (gaddi nashin), Sant Harnam Das.43 It remains a popular pilgrimage site today.9
References
References
- Kalhoro, Zulfiqar Ali (26 May 2013). "The Sikhs of Sindh". Originally published on The Friday Times, republished on SikhChic.
- Bharadwaj, Prakash (1988). Sindhis Through the Ages: Far-East & South-East Asian countries. World-Wide Publishing Company. p. 58.
- 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.
- Amole, Sarmukh Singh. "PRĪTAM DĀS, MAHANT". Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Online Edition). Punjabi University, Patiala. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- eGangotri. Gurusakhi Suryodaya Charitamrit I E Guru Bankhadi Yogsidhi By Harinam Das Ji Maharaj Gadidhar Mahant Sadguru Bankhandi Ashram, Sukkur Sind.
- 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.