Former Hazoori Ragi Giani Nirmal Singh Khalsa suffered cardiac arrest after testing positive for coronavirus a day earlier. Nirmal Singh died at 4.30 am on Thursday leaving his millions of followers across the world in state of grief.
Gurbani exponent and ex-Hazoori Ragi of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar (Golden Temple) Giani Nirmal Singh died Thursday morning in Amritsar, a day after he tested positive of coronavirus. Golden Temple's celebrated Hazoori Ragi had returned from abroad. The 68-year-old Giani Nirmal Singh -- a household name world over for his soulful rendition of Shabad and Kirtan -- was shifted to ventilator support on Wednesday after his condition deteriorated. According to the Principal of Government Medical College, Dr Sujata Sharma, his condition started deteriorating Wednesday evening and he was shifted to ventilator support. He died at 4:30 AM Thursday, she said.
Shabad's like Kar Bande Tu Bandgi, Jis Da Sahib Dadha Hoye, Mera Man Lochai, Tera Keeta Jato Nahi among several others made Giani Nirmal Singh a revered voice across the globe, especially among Punjabis.
KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary of Punjab Disaster Management earlier informed that Nirmal Singh had tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. Nirmal Singh, who would have turned 68 on April 12, had recently returned from the UK and was undergoing treatment at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. He was hospitalised on March 31 with complications of breathlessness and dizziness.
On March 29, tests were carried out in Shri Guru Ramdas Research Institute of Medical Sciences after which he was referred to the Guru Nanak Hospital for advanced diagnosis. The local police have sealed the nearby residences of Nirmal Singh in Amritsar to contain the spread of the virus.
Who was Giani Nirmal Singh Khalsa?
Nirmal Singh was the first 'Hazoori Raagi' of the Golden Temple to be bestowed with the Padma Shri award. He had held large religious gatherings in Delhi and some other places after returning from abroad.
For the uninitiated, here's a Shabad collection from Giani Nirmal Singh, ex-Hazoori Ragi of Golden Temple
Coronavirus in Punjab
With Nirmal Singh's death, the number of coronavirus fatality in Punjab reaches to five while the number of positive cases in the state is 49
Earlier on Wednesday, four more tested positive for COVID-19 in Punjab. Of these, two are residents of Mohali, while one is from Jagatpura village -- both located on the outskirts of state capital Chandigarh. The fourth case is from Ludhiana city, a contact of a positive case.
The state on March 9 tested the first positive case for coronavirus, who has been discharged.
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
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