his very first novel was Sundari, which featured Sunder Kaur, a woman who converted from Hinduism to Sikhism and then proceeded to lead a life of adventure in the jungles with a band of Sikh warriors. It was the first novel penned in the Punjabi language. Through Sundari, Singh hoped to embody all the ideals of Guru Nanak’s lessons. The book was well received by the Sikh community and gained popularity almost immediately. Other important female characters he wrote were Rani Raj Kaur, Satvant Kaur, Subhagji and Sushil Kaur. Even by today's modern standards, these female characters are still considered to be well rounded and an inspiration to both male and female Sikhs alike. Bhai Vir Singh went even as far as often portraying the women in his novels as more prone to spiritual enlightenment than her male counterpart. Punjab & Sind Bank Bhai Vir Singh was one of the founders of the Punjab & Sind Bank. He co-found Punjab & Sind bank with his friends. Awards He was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 and the Padma Bhushan Award in 1956. The Government of India released a stamp to commemorate Bhai sahib's birth centenary in 1972. Posthumous Recognition The portion of his commentary on the Adi Granth – nearly one half of the Holy Book – he had completed was published posthumously in seven large volumes. Bibliography See also Surjit Patar Ajeet Cour References Further reading Bhai Vir Singh: Life, Times and Works by Gurbachan Singh Talib and Attar Singh, ed., Chandigarh, 1973 Bhai Sahib Bhai Vir Singh Ji Books: MP3 audio and PDF books Bhai Vir Singh Books: MP3 audio of books Sundari : Read Sundari book in English Books of Bhai Veer Singh Ji History of Punjab Indian Sikhs 1872 births 1957 deaths Punjabi-language writers Punjabi-language poets Punjabi people Writers from Amritsar Sikh writers Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Scholars of Sikhism Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Punjabi Scholars from Amritsar 19th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian poets Poets from Punjab, India