Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh

News: Recently, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, or the Prakash Parv of the tenth Sikh Guru, was celebrated on January 17.

About:
• He was the 10th and last human Guru of the Sikhs.
• Guru Gobind Singh was the son of the ninth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Teg Bahadur.
• He became the spiritual and temporal leader of the Sikhs on November 11, 1675, at the age of nine, following the martyrdom of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1675.
• He was a warrior, a poet, and a prophet.
• He is fondly remembered by Sikhs as a defender of the faith and a champion of equality and justice. 

Contributions:
• Among his notable contributions to Sikhism are founding the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699.
• He introduced the Five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times. They are Kesh: uncut hair, Kangha: a wooden comb, Kara: an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist, Kirpan: a sword, and Kacchera: short breeches.
• He was engaged in over 21 battles with Mughal Empire. Some of the notable battles include the Battle of Bhangani, the Battle of Nadaun, the Battle of Anandpur, the Battle of Chamkaur, the Battle of Muktsar, and the Battle of Khidrana.

Literary contribution:
• He authored numerous literary works in various languages. Among his famous works are Jaap Sahib, the Tav-Prasad Savaiye, and the Benti Chaupai.
• He further codified Sikh law, wrote martial poetry and music, and was the reputed author of the Sikh work called the Dasam Granth (“Tenth Volume”).
• Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed that he was the last of the personal Gurus. From that point forward, the Sikh Guru was to be the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib(Sikh Holy Book).