Baba Bankhandi Maharaj | |
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Gaddi Nashin of Sadh Belo | |
In office 1823 – 1863 | |
Preceded by | none (position established) |
Succeeded by | Swami Achal Prasad |
Personal | |
Born | Balchand Sharma 1807 or 1808 Nepal or Kero Khetar near Delhi |
Died | 1863 Sadh Belo, Sukkur, Sindh |
Religion | Sikhism |
Sect | Udasi Bakhshishāṅ (Mihanshahi branch) |
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Udasi |
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Bankhandi (1807 or 1808–1863), commonly referred to as Baba Bankhandi Maharaj honorifically[1], was an Udasi missionary and saint who founded Sadh Belo in 1823.[2][3][4][5]
Bankhandi, who was born as Balchand Sharma, was originally said to hail from either Nepal or Kero Khetar near Dehli.[3][2] He became an Udasi missionary and belonged to the Bakhshishāṅ subsect (specifically the Mihanshahi branch).[6] He moved to a heavily forested island in Sukkur, Sindh on the Indus River called Menak Parbat in 1823 at the age of 15.[3] He took a liking to his newfound environment, where he established a dhuni (location for a sacred fire).[5] There he founded Sadh Belo, which grew to become a major centre of spirituality and learning for the Udasi sect.[7][1] Bankhandi established places of worship for various Indic deities, such as Annuparna, Ganesha, Shiva, and Hanuman.[5] He also constructed places where the Guru Granth Sahib was kept.[5] He is said to have died in 1863.[7] A temple dedicated to him was constructed in 1899 by the eight successor (gaddi nashin), Sant Harnam Das.[3][2] It remains a popular pilgrimage site today.[6]