Santokh Das

Painting of Santokh Das depicted haloed upon a pelt as an ascetic

Santokh Das (died 1793) was an Udasi saint and mahant active in the 18th century. He is remembered for his construction projects in the city of Amritsar and the founding of Udasi organizations.[1] Popular lore connects him to the birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Biography

Santokh Das was an ascetic and miracle-worker, being a disciple of the Udasi figure Bhai Pheru (also known as Sangat Sahib), who operated a nomadic akhara.[2][3] Santokh Das belonged to the Sangat Sahib Ke sub-sect of the Udasis. Santokh Das in 1753 founded the Brahm Buta Akhara near the Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, one of the akharas of the city.[3][1][4] Santokh Das received from Raja Singh three villages worth 1,600 rupees per year in the region of Mananwala.[5] His akhara had a Shivala (Shavist temple) attached to it that provided education on Sanskrit grammar and poetry.[6] Santokh Das would conduct educational gatherings, known as a chela, that they called Bankhandi Jamat.[6]

In 1762, he fought against the forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali.[7] Between 1781–1784, he constructed, alongside another Udasi named Pritam Das, a hansli (canal) connecting the Shahi Nahar irrigation-channel to the sarovars of Amritsar to continuously provide them with a water-source.[1] In 1783, Santokh Das and Pritam Das brought a piece of a tall sāl tree from Dera Ram Rai (present-day Dehradun) which they used as material to construct a flagpole that they installed a Nishan Sahib on, with the flagpole being erected in-front of a pre-existing bunga near the Akal Takht, with the bunga then acquiring the name Jhanda Bunga as a result.[8] Many Nirmala saints, when bestowed land-grants by Sikh rulers patronizing them, passed on their gifts to the akhara of Santokh Das.[9] The Brahm Buta Akhara claims that Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born based on a blessing given by Santokh Das.[7]

Santokh Das died in 1793 and his successor was Apbrahm.[1][3] In the early 19th century during the reign of Ranjit Singh, the Brahm Buta Akhara was one of the most awarded akharas of the Punjab in way of revenue-grants, receiving 18,000 rupees per year.[5] In the 1840s, the akhara had 20 sadhs knowledgable in Sikh scriptures and 70 musicians.[6]

List of successors

The list of leaders of the dera of Santokh Das, associated with his akhara:[3]

  • Santokh Das (1753–1793)
  • Apbrahm (1793–1835)
  • Brahmhari (1835–1852)
  • Brahmbuta (1852–1885)
  • Niranjan Das (1885–1915)
  • Paragdas (1915–1935)
  • Jai Ram Das (1935–1942)
  • Sadhu Ram (1942 – 15 September 1942)
  • Lakshman Das (30 October 1942 – 23 December 1952)
  • Rahan Das (8 January 1953—4 October 1958)
  • Bikram Das (7 December 1958 —16 February 1981)
  • Ravinder Das (16 February 1981— present)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Amole, Sarmukh Singh. "SANTOKH DĀS". Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Online Edition). Punjabi University, Patiala. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  2. ↑ McLeod, William Hewat; Kanwal, Harjinder Singh. "The Udasis". Sikh Heritage. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sandhu, Kiranjeet (2011). THE UDÃSÎS IN THE COLONIAL PUNJAB, 1849 A.D - 1947 A.D (PDF). Department of History, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. p. 40.
  4. ↑ Teja, Charanjit Singh (5 April 2025). "Udasi akharas steeped in spiritual tradition". The Tribune. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 Singh, Sulakhan. “NON-SIKH PATRONS OF RELIGIOUS GRANTEES UNDER SIKH RULE: THE CASE OF UDASIS.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 63, 2002, pp. 453–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44158114. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Singh, Sulakhan. “ROLE OF THE UDASIS IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION IN PRE-COLONIAL PUNJAB : LATE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 47, 1986, pp. 432–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44141571. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Dens of belief: Akharas of Amritsar - Akhara Brahm Buta". The Tribune. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Singh, Parkash (2011). Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. III: M-R (3rd ed.). Patiala: Punjabi University. pp. 239–240. ISBN 8173803498.
  9. ↑ Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). "Sikh Religious Orders - Nirmal Panth". History of Sikh Gurus Retold. Vol. II: 1606-1708 C.E. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. pp. 971–978. ISBN 9788126908585.
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