Tarn Taran’s largest village houses legacy of valour and virtue
Known as the largest village in Tarn Taran district, Sur Singh boasts of a storied past dating back to 1477 AD. According to Giani Gian Singh’s esteemed writing ‘Tawarikh Gurkhalsa’, the village was founded by king Sur Singh in 1534 BC.
Situated 32 km from Amritsar on the Amritsar-Khemkaran road, Sur Singh stands as a testament to rich history and cultural heritage.
The venerable village has been a cradle of talent and given birth to numerous martyrs, scholars, artists, sportsmen and writers, who have left an indelible mark in their respective spheres. Sur Singh’s legacy is woven from threads of bravery, intellect and creativity, making it a place of pride for its inhabitants and a source of inspiration for generations to come.
According to historian Giani Gian Singh, Sur Singh was established by king Sur Singh in 1477 AD, which means it came into being eight years after the birth of Guru Nanak Dev in 1469 AD.
Mukhtar Singh Boran Wale, a resident of the village, says that the people of the village are blessed to have their direct connection with Guru Nanak Dev.
As per Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, it is the birth place of Baba Bidhi Chand. In the ‘Sikh Encyclopaedia’ published by Punjabi University, Sur Singh is the native village of Baba Bidhi Chand, who was the follower of Guru Arjan Dev and was the commander of Guru Hargobind Rai.
The village, which is situated on National Highways 354, needs no introduction as it is the headquarters of famous religious sect (Samprada) of ‘Dal Baba Bidhi Chand’. The sect is represented by Baba Avtar Singh as the 12th head at present. He succeeded Baba Daya Singh, his father.
The sect has kept alive its old tradition of having a ‘Dal’ (gathering) of horses and elephants. It still has 60 horses and one elephant. The horses are trained in dancing and art of war. The sect has thousands of followers across the world. Fifth Guru Arjan Dev too had visited Sur Singh to make the village as the “axis of Sikhism”.
In over 15 villages, the predominant sub-caste is Dhillon. Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, who was Lok Sabha Speaker during Indira Gandhi’s regime, and late Punjab CM Partap Singh Kairon are among the well-known personalities of the Dhillon sub caste.
The village has always fought repression since the times of Baba Bidhi Bhand. Baba Bidhi Chand stood against the atrocities of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who had intercepted two beautiful horses named Dilbagh and Gulbagh. Bidhi Chand used his skills to take Guru’s horses back from the emperor’s palace. Bidhi Chand recovered first horse by disguising as a hay seller. The sect Dal Baba Bidhi Chand, is also known as ‘chaaoni’ (cantonment), as the followers are always ready to face any challenge.
In political circles, it is believed that the support of villagers here is a must for any party to win at the hustings.
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