25. Sardar Buddha Singh Ji

Sardar Buddha Singh Sandhu was a great-great-grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He founded the Village (town) of Sukkarchakia. One of his ancestors, Bhara Mall, who lived in Gujranwala district had been initiated into Sikh faith by Seventh Guru, Guru Har Rai. Buddha Singh received the rites of amrit at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh himself and fought in battles under him and under Banda Singh Bahadur. He constructed a big house at Sukkarchak and acquired considerable influence in those turbulent times. He was elected the village Chaudhri or chief. He was a daring horseman, and there were many legends current about his adventures on his favorite piebald mare called Desi. It is said that on the back of Desi he swam across the Ravi, Chenab and Jehlum rivers as many as fifty times. The dauntless warrior had on his body scars of scores of wounds by sword, spear and gun. He died in 1718.