Baba Santa Singh: A Memory of a Departed Chief

The announcement of Baba Santa Singh’s death was met with little surprise but greeted with much sadness. With his health ailing for some time now, and since January of this year a long term patient in Patiala hospital, Baba Santa Singh finally passed away on Thursday 8th May. His long anticipated death has been marked by a protracted and sometime violent and unseemly tussle for the right to succeed him. The disputed right to the leadership of Budha Dal has soured the collective spirit of the Nihang family and left a weary dissonant note reverberating in its ranks. However, what is not in doubt is that this illustrious Nihang Singh, Jathedar and revered religious figure will be acutely missed for his steadying hand, reasoned wisdom, leadership and his steadfast championing of the Nihang traditions and way of life.

Baba Santa Singh watches a gatka display at Hola Mohalla 1999

I met him briefly in 1999 in Anandpur Sahib during the tercentenary celebrations and although he must have been 80 years old he was sprightly, interested and fitted my image of the archetypal aging warrior chief. Although of course he was approaching the twilight of his long life the man himself still commanded the respect of his men; they were fiercely protective of him and touchingly affectionate towards him. As his personal sevadars attended to his needs he welcomed the many visitors waiting to seek his blessing with a ready quip, and a more solemn aside. It was obvious to me that here was a man who held a position of great prestige and was enormously comfortable with that fact. He was, amongst his own people, an avuncular figure radiating benevolence but maintaining a steely air and a strong powerful presence. My lasting memory of him is sitting surrounded by his Nihangs as he watched a gatka display in Anandpur Sahib. The light was fading. It had been a long day and the tent pegging display had finished. An impromptu and enthusiastic demonstration of sword play suddenly began. Baba Santa Singh insisted on staying to see the mock fight rewarding the performers with a hearty show of approval.



Comments

Nick said...

Thanks for reading my blog post. Please let me know what you think. English only please :)

ARVINDER SINGH said on

good work, i am a sikh but i have not seen good photos of nihang singhs like this before

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Nick Fleming Behind the Lens

Photographing In the garden of an Udasin ashram in Khankal near Hardwar during the Kumbh Mela (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Photographing as Nihangs leave the mela ground at the end of Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Portrait session with young sadhu during the Kumbh Mela in Hardwar (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Milan Bharti making a cup of tea, Varanasi (<a target="_blank" href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Meeting and Greeting at Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Photographing Nihangs of the Baba Bakala Dal (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
On the path up to Gaumukh (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Photographing on the bathing ghats at Hardwar during the Kumbh Mela (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Taking a breather on the Armanath Yatra, Kashmir (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
Visit to Shaeedi Bhag, Anandpur Sahib (<a href="httpss://dalbirsindia.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Photo by Dalbir Singh</a>)
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