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History | Baba Avtar Singh Ji (1899-1969)
Baba Avtar Singh Ji was born in a small village named Latifal in Jhelum District ( now in Pakistan) on December 31, 1899 in the family of Shri Mukha Singh Ji and Smt. Narayani Devi Ji. He was being brought up with due affection and indulgence, but when he was just 6 years, his father died after brief illness.
This untimely loss was a big jolt to the family. Then the responsibility of looking after the family gravitated to the shoulders of his mother Narayani. The little boy Avtar was entrusted to the care of Shri Nand Lal, a local priest, for education as there was no school in the village. In a short span of time he was able to study scriptures. As he grew, Avtar proved to be extraordinarily intelligent.
Family hardships made Avtar a very strong and determined person. When he was just 12, his maternal uncle Shri Narain Singh took him to Rawalpindi. In Rawalpindi, Avtar worked first at a hotel and then as a porter at railway station. There, he incidentally came in contact with Seth Sawan Mal.
Impressed by his honesty, integrity and hard work, Seth Sawan Mal employed Avtar in his bakery and eventually he made him a partner and handed over the whole unit to him. This was a step that marked the beginning of Avtar's life of determination and firm faith in goodness.
This untimely loss was a big jolt to the family. Then the responsibility of looking after the family gravitated to the shoulders of his mother Narayani. The little boy Avtar was entrusted to the care of Shri Nand Lal, a local priest, for education as there was no school in the village. In a short span of time he was able to study scriptures. As he grew, Avtar proved to be extraordinarily intelligent.
Family hardships made Avtar a very strong and determined person. When he was just 12, his maternal uncle Shri Narain Singh took him to Rawalpindi. In Rawalpindi, Avtar worked first at a hotel and then as a porter at railway station. There, he incidentally came in contact with Seth Sawan Mal.
Impressed by his honesty, integrity and hard work, Seth Sawan Mal employed Avtar in his bakery and eventually he made him a partner and handed over the whole unit to him. This was a step that marked the beginning of Avtar's life of determination and firm faith in goodness.
On 25 May 1929 came the turning point in the life of Baba Avtar Singh Ji, when he met his guru Baba Buta Singh Ji in Peshawar. Ecstasy took hold of him and he was all praise for the Master and Nirankar, the Formless God all around. He surrendered himself completely to Baba Buta Singh Ji and announced that hereafter his life would follow the way as Baba Buta Singh Ji would lead.
He declared that he had found his destiny at the holy feet of Baba Buta Singh Ji. The latter was also happy because he found in Baba Avtar Singh Ji the kind of disciple he had been looking for, a person who would surrender his body, mind and material assets at the altar of divinity and be prepared to take the spiritual light to the masses and share the eternal bliss with those who were otherwise fumbling in the darkness of ignorance.
From that day both Baba Buta Singh Ji and Baba Avtar Singh Ji worked together. The movement gathered momentum gradually. As expected, they faced a lot of opposition from the orthodox elements, but this failed to deter them from the path of truth. The two were together for about 14 years. On many occasions, Baba Avtar Singh Ji's loyalty, sincerity, devotion and dedication towards his True Master and the Almighty was put to test. Every time, he proved up to the mark and won praise from the True Master.
He declared that he had found his destiny at the holy feet of Baba Buta Singh Ji. The latter was also happy because he found in Baba Avtar Singh Ji the kind of disciple he had been looking for, a person who would surrender his body, mind and material assets at the altar of divinity and be prepared to take the spiritual light to the masses and share the eternal bliss with those who were otherwise fumbling in the darkness of ignorance.
From that day both Baba Buta Singh Ji and Baba Avtar Singh Ji worked together. The movement gathered momentum gradually. As expected, they faced a lot of opposition from the orthodox elements, but this failed to deter them from the path of truth. The two were together for about 14 years. On many occasions, Baba Avtar Singh Ji's loyalty, sincerity, devotion and dedication towards his True Master and the Almighty was put to test. Every time, he proved up to the mark and won praise from the True Master.
Baba Avtar Singh Ji succeeded Baba Buta Singh Ji and preached the divine message during the period from 1943 to 1962. He was all out for the uplift of mankind through dissemination of the divine word. He faced opposition from different fronts in carrying out his missionary obligations, but he remained moulded and welded to the Truth. He appeased the flood of opposition with his deep spirit of humility and love. He possessed wonderful skill to convince his critics, provided they chose to listen to him. There are many instances where critics, after listening to Baba Ji, joined the Mission and dedicated their lives to the propagation of its message.
Following the partition of India in 1947, Baba Avtar Singh Ji had to shift from Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan) to Paharganj, Delhi (India). Devotees migrating from Pakistan also maintained their contact with Baba Ji and sought rehabilitation in and around Delhi. In order to meet the requirements of the children of the devotees and others, Baba Avtar Singh Ji opened Sant Nirankari School in Paharganj, (which is now a Senior Secondary School). Subsequently, he also established Sant Nirankari Colony in North Delhi and shifted the Headquarters of the Mission there. Santokh Sarovar (now called Nirankari Sarovar) was also developed near the Colony.
The ideology of the Mission was easy to understand and follow in practical day-to-day life. It attracted people from all castes and communities. The Mission prescribed no cumbersome rituals or costly ceremonies and liberated people from all kind of taboos. Then, it loved all and hated none. The masses that had just experienced the havoc that communalism and religious intolerance could play with the mankind, gone through the misery before Partition and suffered from the agony even thereafter. They had not only seen the disease of casteism in its full swing, but felt the sting also, welcomed the Mission where all of them were treated as equally respected and dignified members of one human society. They found here what they really needed—the Mission under the spiritual leadership of Baba Avtar Singh Ji, was providing spiritual balm to heal their worldly wounds, the inner strength to bear the sorrow and the morale boosting to continue their journey of life.
The orthodox elements continued to harass Baba Avtar Singh. One day, while a congregation was going on at the residence of Baba Avtar Singh Ji, some people came and started shouting slogans against him. When they continued for some time and did not disperse, some of the disciples asked for Baba Ji’s permission to go and teach them a lesson. Instead Baba Ji asked some disciples to go and offer them water. The demonstrators felt very happy. But when they came to know that the water was being offered on behalf of Baba Avtar Singh Ji, they felt ashamed at their mistake and realized how He possessed divine qualities of compassion, love for all and forgiveness.
Organisational Set-up
To give an organisational outfit to the expanding Mission, Baba Avtar Singh Ji founded Sant Nirankari Mandal in 1948 and got it registered with Headquarters at Delhi. Establishing branches in various cities with Pramukhs-incharge also came in the priority agenda of the Master for holding regular congregations and taking forward the message of the Mission. For this very purpose, Sant Nirankari Sewa Dal also came into being in 1956 with Chacha Pratap Singh as its Head.
Publication wing was set up for books and periodicals. Bringing various books containing philosophy of the Mission were attempted by missionary scholars with deep inspiration from the Master. The Avtar Bani, considered the essence of the Nirankari Ideology, was published in 1957.
One of the unique things related to Baba Avtar Singh Ji is that during his life time itself he took a decision to revert from the Satguru to an ordinary devotee. The Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam which opened on November 5, 1963 was, of course, the first occasion when devotees from all over saw Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji as the Spiritual Head of the Mission. With this, the Satguru stood manifested in Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.
As a devotee, Baba Avtar Singh Ji became an example to others. He showed full reverence to the Satguru of the time, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.
In 1969 Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji and Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji left for tour to U.K. The tour had, however, to be cut short because of sudden deterioration in the health of Baba Avtar Singh Ji who breathed his last on September 17, 1969 i.e., after a few days of their return.
As a devotee, Baba Avtar Singh Ji became an example to others. He showed full reverence to the Satguru of the time, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.
In 1969 Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji and Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji left for tour to U.K. The tour had, however, to be cut short because of sudden deterioration in the health of Baba Avtar Singh Ji who breathed his last on September 17, 1969 i.e., after a few days of their return.
Last Journey
Going by worldly norms, having been the spiritual head of the Mission for about 20 years, many devotees insisted that Baba Avtar Singh Ji be given a grand funeral with sandal wood etc.
But Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji explained that a dead body is just a dead body whether it belonged to an ordinary person, an intellectual, or even a holy man. So Baba Avtar Singh Ji was given a simple funeral at the electric crematorium in Delhi.
But Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji explained that a dead body is just a dead body whether it belonged to an ordinary person, an intellectual, or even a holy man. So Baba Avtar Singh Ji was given a simple funeral at the electric crematorium in Delhi.
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