Baba Kalu is a local

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

Bhagat Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious figures who have obtained high acclaim in their communities for their acts and devotion. It is also a term ascribed to one of the clans in the Mahar caste, with their clan ...

revered by the people of the

Hoshiarpur Hoshiarpur () is a city and a Municipal corporations in India, municipal corporation in Hoshiarpur district in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the ...

and

Phagwara Phagwara (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Phagawāṛā'') is a city and a municipal corporation in the Kapurthala district of Punjab, India, Punjab. It is located from the district headquarters of Kapurthala, from the national capital New Delhi, from St ...

areas within

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

History

Baba Kalu was born in Barial, a village in

during medieval times. He spent his final days in the village of Panch Nangal near the village Khushalpur in

where his wooden sandals are still kept. The main shrine of Baba Kalu is in Panshta (also known as

Panchhat Panchhat, commonly known as Panshta is a village in Phagwara Tehsil in the Kapurthala District, Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in ...

). Baba Kalu was of the Manauti surname and had two sons: Ganesha and Mehesha. The latter left issue who are styled Bawas and live in the villages of Panshta, Barial, Panch Nangal, Khutiar and Kahnpur. He also had 4 disciples: Lachhmi Chand, Sri Chand, Megh Chand, and Tara Chand, among whose descendents is a

Granthi A Granthi (, ) is a person, female or male, of the Sikh religion who is a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy book in Sikhism, often read to worshipers at Sikh temples called a Gurdwara. The name Granthi comes from the ...

. The shrine in Panshta hosts the annual Baisakhi Mela.http://panshta.com/index_files/Page1164.htm A representative of the shrine travels to the villages that attend the Mela to gather contributions. People from many villages attend the Mela including people from the adjoining villages of Narur and Jalwehra as well as people from

Lakhpur Lakhpur is a village near Sahni (Lakhpur-Sahni), Tehsil Phagwara, Kapurthala district, in Punjab (India), Punjab, India. Demographics , Lakhpur had a population of 1,892 people. As per the 2011 Census, the population is 1,895 people. The villag ...

and

Sahni Sahni, Sawhney, Sahani, or Sahney is a Khatri surname found among the Hindus and Sikhs of Punjab,Bihar in India and Nepal. It is also used by people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Nepal and other parts of Central India. Punjabis Notable people ...

Photo gallery

File:Shrine of Bhagat Baba Kalu Ji Panchhat.JPG, Shrine of Bhagat Baba Kalu Ji Panchhat File:Shrine of Bhagat Baba Kalu Ji.JPG, Shrine of Bhagat Baba Kalu Ji

References

{{Punjabi folk religion People from Hoshiarpur district Punjabi folk religion