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Events of 1669
It was a time of oppression and tyranny, when innocent people were being forced to give up their beliefs and way of life or face death by the sword.
The 10th Guru of the Sikhs called on his followers to attend Anandpur Sahib (City of Bliss) to join him in the Vaisakhi celebrations.
Over 100,000 attended to celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi with their Guru. They were expecting to hear words of comfort and consolation from the lips of their Guru, but were perturbed to see him with a drawn sword in his hand and asking “Is there a brave sole who is willing to give up their life for their Guru”
One man, Daya Ram of Lahore, stood up and walked to the Guru and said “If the Guru wills my life, then it is yours my Lord”
On these words Guru Gobind Rai struck out his sword and beheaded Daya Ram. However one head was not enough, in total 5 men sacrificed their lives on that day.
The Guru then placed the bodies side by side and made Kande di Pahul Amrit (The Immortal Nectar, stirred with a double edge sword)
He poured drops of Amrit in their eyes head and mouths each time reciting
“Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh”
“The Khalsa belongs to God
Victory is always to God”
Then on his command he ordered them to stand up, and all five men stood up in front of the congregation. The Guru then dressed them in new robes and presented them to the Congregation as the Panj Piyare (The 5 Beloved ones)
Daya Ram became Daya Singh
Dharam Das became Dharam Singh
Mohkam Chand, became Mohkam Singh
Himmat, of Jagannath, became, Himmat Singh
Sahib Chand, of Bidar Became Sahib Singh.
The Guru becomes the follower
The Guru then stood in front of the five beloved ones, got down on one knee and asked to have the same Amrit administered to him. Guru Gobind Rai then became Guru Gobind Singh and formally became a member of the Khalsa order.
The Five K's
The Order of the Khalsa (The Pure) was created, an order of warrior saints, willing to lay down their lives in protecting the justice freedom and equality for all humanity. An order devoted to purity of thought and action. The men adopted the name “Singh” meaning Lion and the Women "Kaur" Princess / Lioness. The Guru gave the Khalsa a distinctive external form to remind them of their commitment, and to help them maintain an elevated state of consciousness. Every Sikh baptized as Khalsa vows to wear the "Five K's".
- Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a turban, the crown of spirituality.
- Kangha - a wooden comb to properly groom the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.
- Kachera - specially made loose underwear as a reminder of the commitment to purity and is a sign of sexual restraint.
- Kara - a pure iron bracelet, worn on the wrist, signifying bondage to truth and freedom from every other entanglement.
- Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is committed to righteously defend the fine line of the truth. The Kirpan is there to protect the poor and for self-defence. With patience and mercy, the Kirpan is to be used as a sword in order to destroy oppression.
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