Sawan Singh Gogia

Sawan Singh Gogia, a Sikh preacher and a reputed writer in USA, was born at Nurpur Thal (desert), District Sargodha (Pakistan) on 23rd December 1923 in a middle class Sikh family. His father late S. Partap Singh was in business, earlier as a cloth merchant and later on as a share broker. S. Sawan Singh got his early education in Mian Channu and then at Nurpur (both in Pakistan). As he was a brilliant student with proficiency in Persian, he passed Munshi Fazal exam in 1942. For a number of years, he worked as a Persian teacher and it was only after partition that he did his graduation privately while in service (he attended DAV College Ambala for two months only) and BT (Bachelor of Training) from Govt. College, Faridkot (1949, 1950 respectively). He started his regular teaching career in 1950 at Government Balbir School, Faridkot and while in service he completed his Graduation in History and Post Graduation in Punjabi.

He got a state award for being one of the best five heads of five schools, when he was serving at Mansa. He became Principal of a Government Primary Teachers Training (JBT) School at Budhlada (Bhatinda) and served there until he was deputed with the Punjab School Education Board, Mohali as officer in charge of the Adarsh Schools. From there he retired in December, 1981. From 1984 to 87 he served as Honorary Founder Principal of an Elementary Model School started by Gurdwara Sector 15, Chandigarh (Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadur), which is now a recognized Higher Secondary School. As a teacher he was always a role-model by self example and also by guiding the students regarding the spiritual values and teachings of Sikh religion. However, when his retired life started after shifting to USA where his three sons and only daughter are settled, he took the role of a preacher and a writer on Sikhism. In highly advanced age, he learnt operating computer and started working like a dedicated preacher. He has written 12 books and more than 100 articles on Gurbani and Sikh history which can be seen on his website www.sawansinghgogia.com. He himself published some of these books, but, never sold any of them. He distributed in different Gurdwaras not free, but for the donation that went to the Gurdwaras where distributed. Three of his books, namely, ‘Thus says Sri Guru Granth Sahib’, ‘Noble and Brave Sikh Women’, and ‘How to Reach God?’ have been published by a reputed publisher of Amritsar. Seven of his books are being sold on line by Amazon in many countries. Most of his articles are published in the Sikh Review (Kolkata), Abstract of Sikh Studies (Chandigarh), Kesar Kiari (Delhi), Gursikh (Canada), Sikh Bulletin (California) and Punjabi Weeklies in USA. On Sundays, He serves in the library having four thousand books at Gurdwara Sikh Center, Santa Ana. At this age of 93 years, our role-model is still playing his role of a preacher and a writer with dedication and spirit having complete faith in the grace of God. He still does one Sehaj Path of Sri Guru Granth Sahib every year by reading about four pages with meanings. He is grateful to his dutiful and religious minded sons who have supported him and enabled him to do whatever he wanted to do for his religion. He is living at 10561 Brier Lane, Santa Ana, California, US 92705 and his email is sawansingh85@gmail.com.