Rai Sahib Bishen Singh, was came from a very respectable and ancient Malwa Sidhu Jatsikh family in rhe Ludhiana district,He was born in the year 1877 and losing his father in his infancy was carefully brought up by his mother. After obtaining his education at the Thomson Civil Engineering College, Roorkee, he was posted to the Assam P.W.D. in the year 1899. He has since been in charge of important works and by the faithfuland honest discharge of his duties has very much endeared himself to his officers who have a very high opinion ofj his ability, trustworthiness, honesty and loyalty. He possesses a very good physique which enables him to do the work of two ordinary men.
In the year 1911 he was selected to take charge of the construction of the Durbar Camp of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam under Colonel Cole, C.S.I. “The success to this camp which was admitted to be one of the best camps and which had become an object of general admiration was the result of this officer’s effort and usual untiring energy. The white railings in this camp so well spokenof by the “ Statesman” newspaper were the ingenious contrivance of the Sardar.
At the Coronation Durbar on the 12th December, 1911, the title of Rai Sahib was conferred on him. Later he was one of the five S.D.O.’s who are carrying out the construction of temporary Delhi. He was in charge of the Viceregal buildings and in addition to this he has put in proper order, some 30 bungalows in the Civil Lines, some of which have been occupied by Honourable Members of the Council and other high officials.He has been presented by Eastern Bengal and Assam Government with a ‘ Khillat’ consisting of a Choga, a Sirpaitch, a Silk Ribbon, a Pearl Necklace and a beautiful Sword. The Sirpaitch with the fine plume on the turban of the “Sardar” attracted the attention of his fellow title holders and was very much envied on the occasion of the last Viceregal Durbar at Delhi on 23rd December, 1912.
References :-
- Imperial Coronation Durbar of Delhi (1911), Volume 2 by Umair Mirza