Sihayato Baba Nanak
How an Important Historical Tradition Came to Public Attention
The Holi of the writings associated with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji and their journey from family-held material to a wider published record.
A History That Emerged from Family-Held Writings
The story of Sihayato Baba Nanak is also a story about how historical material can remain within a family for many years before reaching a wider audience.
According to the family account preserved in this archive, until around 2002, the wider public had little knowledge of the material that would later become associated with Sihayato Baba Nanak.
The material was connected with the writings and historical interests of Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji. A significant step occurred when his third son, Mohinder Pal Singh Bedi, took the material to Patiala and presented it to Prof. Himmat Singh.
The Turning Point Around 2002
The Material Reaches Patiala
According to the family account, Mohinder Pal Singh Bedi, the third son of Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji, travelled to Patiala carrying the historical material associated with Sihayato Baba Nanak.
A Scholar Is Asked to Write the History
The material was presented to Prof. Himmat Singh, with the request that he study it and write about the history of Sihayato Baba Nanak.
This became an important stage in the journey of the material from a family-held historical tradition towards a published work accessible to a wider audience.
The Story Enters the Public Record
Through the writing and presentation of the material, the history associated with Sihayato Baba Nanak became available to readers beyond the immediate family.
The Role of Prof. Himmat Singh
Prof. Himmat Singh played an important role in bringing the material into written form. The work presented in the book is based on material associated with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji and subsequently made available for wider reading.
The importance of this stage lies not only in the publication itself, but in the transition from preserved material to a form that could be read, discussed and studied by others.
Family-held material → shared with a scholar → researched and written → published → made available to readers.
Giani Dayapal Singh and the Preservation of the Story
Giani Dayapal Singh, grandson of Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji, has continued to preserve and present material relating to his grandfather’s life, writings and historical legacy.
Through this Digital Historical Archive, the aim is to bring together the available writings, books, photographs, manuscripts and documentary material so that readers can explore the historical record for themselves.
The publication of Sihayato Baba Nanak is therefore presented here as one part of a much larger body of material connected with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji.
Other Writings Based on the Sihayato Baba Nanak Material
According to the family account, Sihayato Baba Nanak was not the only work connected with this historical material. Other books and writings were also produced using material and traditions associated with the Sihayato Baba Nanak record.
Copies of the relevant editions and related publications are being preserved within this Digital Historical Archive wherever they are available.
We respectfully invite readers, researchers, students and anyone interested in Sikh history to read the available editions and examine the material preserved in this archive. Reading the original publications allows each reader to engage directly with the historical material.
Earlier Historical and Sangharshi Writings
The wider body of writings connected with this historical tradition also includes earlier material associated with Giani Narayan Singh of Sanour, Patiala.
According to the material preserved in this tradition, Giani Narayan Singh was associated with the Sikh struggle during a significant period of Sikh history and with matters concerning Gurdwara Nanakana Sahib.
The first published material relating to Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji appears to have been compiled and published through the efforts of Sardar Naratan Singh Sanour, Patiala. The publication, titled “Akali Morcha Te Jathedar Kartar Singh Chhabar,” was published in 1959.
In addition to providing details concerning the wider Panthic activities and historical events of that period, the publication also makes reference to Sardar Narayan Singh and provides information about the individual and his contribution.
Remembering the Struggle and Its People
The related historical writing also presents brief accounts of approximately 27 individuals associated with the struggle, together with discussion of the aims and objectives connected with that historical period.
These accounts are valuable because history is not only the story of institutions and events. It is also the story of the individuals who participated in, supported and documented those events about Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji.
Why This Book Is Important to the Archive
For this Digital Historical Archive, Sihayato Baba Nanak represents an important part of the written legacy associated with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji.
It helps visitors understand that the historical legacy connected with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji was not simply preserved through photographs or memories. Written material, books, manuscripts and historical accounts also form part of the record.
By placing the book online alongside related publications, the archive seeks to make this material more accessible to students, researchers, families and future generations.
Read Sihayato Baba Nanak
Archival Note
This article records the family account concerning the discovery, sharing and publication of material associated with Sihayato Baba Nanak.
The Digital Historical Archive distinguishes between documentary material, published writings and family or oral accounts. Where a historical detail is based on family testimony rather than an independently verified contemporary document, it should be read in that context.
The original publications and surviving documents should be consulted wherever possible so that readers and researchers can form their own understanding of the material.
Preserving the Story for Future Generations
The journey of Sihayato Baba Nanak is ultimately a story about preservation — material preserved within a family, shared with a scholar, transformed into a written work, and eventually made available to a wider audience.
Through this archive, the hope is that these writings will continue to be read, studied and discussed, allowing future generations to explore the historical legacy associated with Sant Syed Prithipal Singh Ji.
We respectfully invite everyone to read the books and writings preserved in this archive.