Bhai Vir Singh.pdf - Vidhia.com

Foreword
opularly Popularly known as the 'Father of Modern
PPunjabi Literature', Bhai Vir Singh was born at the time
when movements of religious reform and awakening were
swaying the young minds. Born in 1872, a year before the
start of the Singh Sabha Movement. Bhai Vir Singh soon
became its main inspiration and guiding spirit. He devoted
the whole of his life for the rejuvenation of the Sikh
community through his writings - novels, poetry and
annotation of the sacred text. Through tracts on popular
themes, Bhai Vir Singh reached the larger audience. He even
started a Punjabi weekly, the Khalsa Samachar, which is
continuing till date.
Basically a spiritual and elevated soul Bhai Vir Singh
shunned worldJly publicity and glamour. He hardly attended
any functions or made any public speech. When persuaded
to make a speech on the eve of Sikh Educational Conference
at Bombay, where he was to be felicitated with an
Abinandan Granth, the only words he uttered were 'Wahe
Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh' and expressed his
gratitude by quoting from Gurbani:
"Hum Rulte Phirte, Koi Baat Na Poochhta,
Gur Satgur Sang KITe Hum Thape".
(I was nobody, no one cared for me,
I am honoured because of Satguru's grace).
Honours came to him unsaught. While the Sahitya
Akademy conferred the first Award for Punjabi writing on
Bhai Vir Singrh for his book Mere Saniyan Jeo, the
Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan.
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