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Baba Kirtan Singh Ji (23 November 1914 – 17 December 2001) was the former Chief of the Tarna Dal Baba Bakala. He was born in the small village Kotli Lehal, near by Baba Bakala Sahib, Amritsar. He born in the Jat Sikh family,by father S. Veer Singh and Mother Sardarni Kishan Kaur. His father was a farmer but had keen interest to make baba ji a big officer. Baba kirtan Singh ji Passed his Matriculation in 1930. He was awarded a job as the Tehsildar but he refused to take and went to Kartarpur sahib in 1933 to do the sewa. It was very popular story that when ever Baba ji's mother took a blanket or other stuff for him then he accepts all at that time but after she left, he gave it to other needy people. He did not go back from Kartarpur Sahib which is also known as Chhota Kartarpur. In 1946, Baba Bishan Singh ji the head of tarna dal at that time took Baba ji to Baba Bakala sahib to do sewa as a Food maker and server. Baba ji did sewa at Baba Bakala Sahib about 21 years and after that on the orders of vadde baba ji (Baba Bishan Singh Ji) in 1967, Baba ji went to Anandpur Sahib at Shaheedi Bagh Gurudwara. At the time of the akaal chalana of Baba Bishan Singh ji, they asked baba ji to meet him at his last time in Baba Bakala Sahib. After the akaal chalana of vadde baba ji, Baba Kirtan Singh ji became the Head of Tarna Dal Baba Bakala in 1992.It was a ceremony for this position by all Tarna Dal, Budha Dal & Head of Akal Takhat Sahib Amritsar, in which first of all Akal Takhat Jathedar Sahib tied a Dastar to baba ji and after that all jathebandis like tarna dal and budha dal tie dastar to baba ji. He was the 14th head of the Tarna Dal after Baba Deep Singh Ji, he served 9 years again to do sewa at Baba Bakala Sahib. He died on 17 December 2001 and gave charge to Baba Makhan Singh ji at Baba Bakala Sahib and for Shaheedi Bagh Anandpur Sahib, he put Baba Gurdev Singh ji to do the sewa.
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History of Tarna Dal
Tarna Dal, the army of the youth, was one of the two main divisions of Dal Khalsa, the confederated army of the Sikhs during the eighteenth century, the other one being the Buddha Dal (army of the elders). These Dals came into existence in 1734 when, during a truce with Zakariya Khan, the Mughal governor of the Punjab, different roving bands of the Sikhs were concentrated in Amritsar.
Etymology
"Meaning of Tarna Dal"
So together "Tarna Dal" means: "Young Army" or "Fresh Army" or "Tender Army" or "Progressive Army"
Tarna Dal/Shaheedi Misl - 1702 saw the Jathedari of the Khalsa Dal Panth pass from Dasmesh Pitta Sahib e Kamaal, Badshah Darvesh, Shah Shehanshah Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and on to Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed as the Khalsa General marched to the Deccan along with the Buddha Dal in order to assist the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah in the south. With the one and only Buddha Dal division on the move to the Deccan along with the Tenth Patshahi, the 12 divisions of the Tarna Dal were charged with the responsibility of defending the Panjab and its historical Gurdwaras under the leadership of Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed. The Tarna Dal was well suited for such a military duty as its numbers out-swelled those of the Buddha Dal as most new recruits came into the Tarna Dal, due primarily to the fact that the Tarna Dal was the primary military force which was utilised in battle. Due to the large number of Shaheeds from this battalion the Tarna Dal always welcomed new recruits.
Along with Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed, Bhai Maan Singh Ji, Bhai Daya Singh Ji {of the first panj piyare} and Baba Binod Singh Ji [The descendant of Guru Amardass Ji Maharaj], stayed in the Panjab as per Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s military orders.
The Tarna Dal fulfilled its Guru ordered duty with honour, bravery and Shaheedi with valiant defiance as it defended The Gurdwaras, and the Panjab and its assets against continued attack from the Mughals and the new threat, the Afghans.
Jathedars(Heads)
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Guru ki Maseet
Guru ki Maseet or Guru's Mosque is a mosque that was constructed at the request of the sixth Sikh Guru Guru Hargobind ji. It is situated in Sri Hargobindpur town on the banks of River Beas. It is also recognized as a historic site by UNESCO.
When Guru Hargobind Sahib ji was anointed the sixth guru of the Sikhs he asked Baba Buddha ji, an eminent Sikh to bring forth two swords. These Guru Sahib put on as symbols of spiritual (miri) and temporal (piri) authority. Guru Hargobind Sahib is known as ‘miri piri dhay malik’, "Lord of miri and piri".
Guru Hargobind sahib built the Akal Takhat Sikhi's most important Temporal throne, the throne of the Almighty, opposite the Shri Harimandar Sahib (Golden temple), Sikhi's most revered spiritual Gurdwara, again this was an additional sign of bringing together spiritual and temporal powers.
In December, 1634 Guru Hargobind Sahib fought a fierce battle against Mughal forces near the River Beas. Although heavily outnumbered, the Guru was victorious. Guru Sahib decided to stay there for a while, and soon a settlement grew up at this location. The settlement expanded into a town which became known as Sri Hargobindpur (-pur, being a suffix for "place of").
This mosque has existed in this location since the period of the sixth Guru. With the turmoil of the partitioning of India in 1947 and the mass movement of people, the mosque fell into a state of neglect and disrepair. In time the care of the Masjid fell into the hands of a group a Nihang Singhs who installed the Sikh scripture Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji in the one-time Masjid. For many years, the mosque was maintained by these Nihangs. In February 8, 2001 a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MoU) was signed by Baba Kirtan Singh the chief of the Nihangs, the Sikh caretakers of the mosque, and the Punjab Waqf Board. It was Baba Kirtan Singh's desire that Muslims again perform their prayers at the mosque which had been given to them by Guru Hargobind.
As per the wishes of Baba Kirtan Singh, five saplings were planted in the names of five Sikh Gurus. Dr Mohammad Rizwanul Haque, Punjab Waqf Board Administrator, described the MoU as an international event which would pave the way for strengthening communal harmony in the country.
As Baba Kirtan Singh put it, "This maseet was established by our Guru. It is a maseet, but it is as important to us as a gurdwara." Dr Haque echoed this sentiment, declaring, "Your Guru built a maseet and it was his intention that Muslims come and perform namaz there. There are no Muslims now, but you (the Nihangs) have been preserving it very well and we all want it to stay in its original form." Later Baba Kirtan Singh stated that just as Muslims testify to the oneness of God, Sikhs say Sat Sri Akal. He again assured Dr Haque and the other representatives from the Wakf Board that they should not worry at all, the building would be kept as a maseet, as the Guru had wanted. As the light in the gurdwara courtyard grew golden, an unusual meeting took place between Baba Kirtan Singh, head of the Nihang Taran Dal in Baba Bakala, and Dr Mohammad Rizwanul Haque, Secretary of the Central Wakf Council, Delhi. The two men sat facing each other on simple string charpoys to discuss their shared interests in a masjid built by a Sikh Guru.Baba Kirtan Singh had come prepared, bringing with him several texts of Sikh history, some written in Gurmukhi and others in Persian script. He read from the records about the Sikh Guru’s conversion of the house of a dead Muslim into a masjid and the setting up of a langar for the poor. He also told of an encounter between Guru Nanak and some Muslims that ended with the declaration that "if Hindus are the left hand, then Muslims are the right, and we all believe in the one true God." In this way, Baba Kirtan Singh skillfully wove together the history of the Gurus and the present situation, the preservation and maintenance of a place — the Guru ki Maseet in Sri Hargobindpur— that is precious to both the communities.The maseet is picturesquely situated on a hill overlooking a curve in the mighty Beas river. After coming to the region in the early 17th century, Guru Hargobind built temples, gurdwaras, and a masjid to accommodate the spiritual needs of all the inhabitants. Since Partition there has been no Muslim population in the area. In the intervening years, the care of the site was taken up by Nihangs sent by Baba Kirtan Singh from his base in Baba Bakala, some 20 kilometres away. The present sevadar, Baba Balwant Singh, has been at the site since 1984, clearing weeds, sweeping dust, preparing langar, and fulfilling all the other obligations of his faith in service to the Guru, his Baba, and the Sikh tradition., ,