Must-read Sikh literature in Punjabi
A list of various books on Sikhi written in Punjabi that have influenced Sikh scholarship
This short article is a follow up in our series of “Must-read Literature”. While we often explore many English accounts of Sikh history and literature, there are aspects that can only be discovered by delving deeper into Punjabi literature. We have compiled a list of Punjabi literature works that stand out for their remarkable and extraordinary research, providing readers great insight.
Karam Singh Historian Di Itihasik Khoj - Hira Singh ‘Dard’
This three volume work is written by Hira Singh ‘Dard’ and it includes numerous articles and essays by Karam Singh Historian. He conducted interviews with many elderly individuals who were present during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. There is a chapter related to when Karam Singh Historian went to Baghdad, dressed as a Muslim, to research places linked with Guru Nanak and to collect historical evidence of Guru Nanak’s visit to Mecca.
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Afghanistan Da Safar - Dr Ganda Singh
This book is authored by Dr Ganda Singh and is based on his trip to Afghanistan in 1952. This volume provides information about Gurdwaras in Afghanistan, many handwritten manuscripts, museums and the social dynamics of Sikhs and other ethnic groups of the country.
Ganda Singh often mentions the religious diversity found across Afghan Sikhs, as mentioned previously in a Khalsa Chronicle article:
Hakikat-e-Sikhan - Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon
This is originally an 18th century Persian source which covers the history of origin and the rise of Sikhi in Punjab. The original author of this work is unknown but it becomes evident through Dr. Balwant Singh’s translation that the author lacked knowledge about various aspects and events related to Sikhism.
However, since it is a contemporary source, it still holds considerable importance. Two chapters from this work have been translated into English and published in a previous article:
Gur Tirath Cycle Yatra by Dhanna Singh Chahal Patialvi
This work is a pictorial journey of a Sikh pilgrim, Bhai Dhanna Singh Chahal Patialvi, who travelled to various Sikh shrines on his bicycle across modern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, from 1930 to 1934. His journey is pictured and chronicled in this volume as he took pictures of over a thousand Sikh shrines and wrote diary entries about them.
Sri Gur Tirath Sangreh by Pandit Tara Singh Narotam
This work was originally completed in 1940 by Pandit Tara Singh Narotam. This first part of this work includes a list of numerous Sikh shrines visited by the Gurus and their families, their geographical locations and the management heads of those shrines at that time. Pandit Tara Singh also analyses the religious and historical importance of these religious shrines. Then, the second part of the book focuses on Sikh relics, jathedars and a detailed explanation of pilgrimages.
Parasaraprasna by Sirdar Kapur Singh
Parasarprasna is Sirdar Kapur Singh’s book on Sikh philosophy, rightly called by many as his magnus opus. It expounds on how Sikhi and the Khalsa order spurred a palingenesis of Indian society, in those areas where Sikhi was spread, using comparative theology and philosophy with constant references to Vedantic texts, the Upanishads, the Arthashastra, the Pali Canon and the Qu’ran.
This was a short attempt by The Khalsa Chronicle team to bring forth and highlight these remarkable pieces of research in Punjabi. If you are interested in learning Punjabi, don't forget to sign up for Sri Asdhuj’s Punjabi Classes by clicking the link below: