Randhawa

BULLA KI JAANA MEIN KAUN?

The word “Randhawa” is derived from two terms, “Rann” which means battle and “dhawa” which means attack(noun).

Randhawa  is one of the many last names of Jat/Jatt warrior clans that played an important historical role in South Asian history.

The founding father of this clan was Randhawa, a Jadu/Jadaun/Jadon Rajput warrior who was famous for his martial prowess. According to Sir Lepel Griffin, Randhawa tribe is of Rajput origin and its founder was resident in Bikaner seven hundred years ago.

From him descended seven families i.e. Dharmkot, Ghanianki, Chamiari, Doda, Dorangah or Talwandi, Kathu-Nangal and Khunda. It is known that Kajal, the fifth descendant of Randhawa emigrated to Punjab and settled in Batala.Further Kajal Randhawa’s descendants founded the village of Pakhoke i.e. Pakho-Ke-Randhawa. Dera Baba Nanak has villages of Randhawas around it.

In India the majority of people of this clan are Sikhs living in Punjab & Delhi. In Pakistan the majority of people of this clan are Muslims.

The most notable figure amongst the Randhawas is Baba Budha Ji, one of the most sacred and revered saints of Sikhs.

Baba Buddha Ji ( ਬਾਬਾ ਬੁੱਢਾ ਜੀ) (1506 – 1631) is recognized as one of the great Sikhs of the Guru period. He had theprivilege of being blessed by the first six Gurus. He led an ideal Sikh life for more than a hundred years. He was one of closest companions of theGuru Nanak (the first Guru of Sikhism) and is one of the most revered and sacred saints in Sikhism. He holds one of the most important and pivotal positions in Sikh history. The first head Granthi ofShri Harmandir Sahib. Baba Budha applied Tilak/Tikka to five Sikh Gurus, fromGuru Angad Dev toGuru Hargobind. Tikka was applied to the foreheads of 7th, 8th and 9th Sikh Gurus by Baba Gurditta Randhawa, grandson of Baba Buddha ji. This ceremony in the case of 10th Sikh Guru was performed by Ram Kanwar Randhawa alias Gurbakhsh Singh.

Contributed by: Manjot Singh Randhawa