Badkhalsa village proud of martyr Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya’s legacy

To honour this supreme act of courage, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini recently attended a state-level commemorative event at Badkhalsa village.

Virender Badkhalsa, a resident and Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, said it was an emotional moment for the villagers. “It was a proud moment for us as our ancestor Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya had sacrificed his own head to ensure the safe delivery of the sacred head of Guru Teg Bahadur to Anandpur Sahib,” he said.

Explaining the origin of the village’s name, he said ‘Badkhalsa’ itself reflects its history. In Punjabi, ‘Badh dena’ means ‘to cut’, referring to the place where Dada Kushal Singh offered his own head. Another interpretation of the name is ‘Bade Khalsa’, he said.

Dahiya added that Dada Kushal Singh was known for his simplicity and devotion. “It is famous that Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya was so simple-hearted and religious that when Guru Teg Bahadur reached Lakhan Majra, he also went to meet Guru there,” he said.

According to historical accounts, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded on November 9, 1675, on the orders of Aurangzeb after refusing to convert to Islam. Bhai Jaita managed to escape with the sacred head but was relentlessly pursued by Mughal soldiers.

During his escape, Bhai Jaita reached Garhi Kushali near Rai on the GT Road (now NH-44) and sought shelter there. After hearing his plight, Dada Kushal Singh stepped forward to make the ultimate sacrifice, as his appearance resembled that of Guru.

Veer Singh Dahiya, president of the Amar Balidani Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya Samiti, recounted the moment of supreme devotion. “On the directions of Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya, his own son beheaded him and handed it over to the Mughal soldiers,” he said.

However, the deception was soon discovered. The soldiers later returned to Kushali Garhi and massacred several villagers in retaliation.

Senior villager Veer Singh, aged 70, shared that Dada Kushal Singh originally hailed from Nahri village and founded a new settlement that came to be known as Dada Kushali. In the aftermath of his sacrifice, the village was renamed Badkhalsa. “All families in the village are the clans of Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya,” he added.

A museum dedicated to the martyr was built in Badkhalsa in 2000 during the INLD government, and his statue was installed during the BJP regime. Recently, the Chief Minister participated as the chief guest at the state-level programme marking the 350th martyrdom anniversary.

Virender Badkhalsa also noted that the village name was formally recorded during British rule. “During the British rulers’ era, the revenue record was maintained and a Sikh officer was appointed here, who named the village ‘Badkhalsa’. Now, the name of the village ‘Badkhalsa’ is also maintained in the revenue records,” he said.