Baisakhi  -2

The awe inspiring ceremony of creation of Khalsa on 30^th March 1699 on the hills of Anandpur Sahib was a unique event the world ever witnessed. The winter becomes milder but the mist in the early morning cold air spreads its mysticism and the sun rising with its golden light dispels all doubts. The wheat starts ripening and makes farmers proud of their hard work. Guru ji summoned the Sikh Sangat from all over the country by sending messengers but kept the whole concept a secret. Even his close associates didn’t know why he has summoned people. Large shamianas were erected to accommodate all the sangat. The air was full of mystery and expectations. People started taking their place in large shamianas and the anticipation was growing with every moment. Guru ji performed all the rituals of reading Gurbani and singing hymns as usual. At the end of these rituals he stood up and spoke in a roaring voice addressing the sangat with a naked sword in his hand; my sword wants a head, is there a Sikh who will give his head for his Guru and dharma? There was a silence in the air and in the congregation and Guru repeated his call three times. After a third call a kashtriya Daya Ram from Lahore stood in front of the Guru and said,” my lord my head is at your disposal and there will be no greater honour then to keep my head under your sword.” Guru held his hand and took him to a smaller tent erected nearby. When he came out his sword was dripping with blood. He asked the awe struck assembly for another head and this time Dharam Das from Hoshiarpur came forward to lay his head for the Guru. Three more calls were made and Mokam Chand from Dwarka, Himmat from Jagannath and Sahib Chand from Bidar came forward to give their head. People saw blood coming out of the tent. He decorated the five men in the same dress as his own and came out of the tent. He asked the five to sit in a heroic posture. He stirred batasas a sweet crystallized sugar in an iron bowl, stirred with his two edged sword known as Khanda. He then poured this sweetened water (Amrit) on the palms touching the lips of five Sikhs sitting in a heroic posture. He repeated this ceremony for five times and each time he repeated a self coined slogan,” Wahe Guru ji ka khalsa, Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh”( hail the Khalsa who belongs to the Lord, hail the Lord whom belongs the victory).” He then addresses the congregation and five decorated Sikhs and said; today I have created the Order of Khalsa direct under the command of Akal Purakh (The Timeless Being), and they will be called Panj Piyaras (the five beloved one’s of Lord). Today they are reborn with their previous birth, their past standing in the society and rituals are renounced. From today they will add Singh (lion) to their names. They will fight against oppression and tyranny, they always serve the helpless, they shall consider all human beings equal irrespective of caste and creed, and they will initiate a new order called Khalsa ( pure and God’s own). Since their previous birth is renounced their father is Guru and their mother is Sahib Devan and birth place is Anandpur. Then he asked the Punj Piyaras to prepare the amrit the way he had prepared and once done he sat in the heroic posture in front of them asked them to pour it on his palm. Each one of them repeated the ceremony and each time resonance of Wahe Guru ji ki khalsa, Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh was heard in the air. Astonished and perplexed people wanted to know the meaning of this ceremony. He explained that the Order of Khalsa is created direct under the command of Akal Purakh and there is no difference between him and the Khalsa. He is one of them being baptized from them (his own disciples). He merged himself into his own creation and endowed his charismatic personality to them. A democratic society was created without any hierarchy. To continue…..