Guru Gobind Singh Ji, 1666-1708

Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus, the one who transformed the Sikh faith. In 1699 he created the Khalsa(Pure), a community of the faithful who wore visible symbols of their faith and trained as warriors. Today the Khalsa comprises all practising Sikhs.

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Guru Gobind named the Guru Granth Sahib his successor ©

Guru Gobind Singh succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur at the age of 9. His teachings were different from his predecessors' - he believed that no power could exploit the Sikhs.

He spent his childhood years studying Persian and Sanskrit, and was skilled in the art of war. His mission was to uphold right in every place and destroy sin and evil. In 1699 he chose the festival day of Vaisakhi as the occasion to transform the Sikhs into the Khalsa, a family of soldier saints.

Guru Gobind Singh introduced many of the customs that Sikhs practise today.

Sikhs who have been through the Amrit ceremony of initiationbecome Amritdhari, initiated Sikhs. They take new names and wear the 5 Ks - five physical symbols that Sikhs must wear.

He declared the the Sikh holy book as his successor instead of a human being. The Guru Granth Sahib would thus be the Sikhs' guide forever. Sikhs give it the same status and respect as a human Guru.

"KHALSA" of GURU GOBIND SINGH JI..

Of such powerful men and women is the Sikh Sangat composed. At least once in history, it was so. It assembled around the Throne of the Ten Gurus, and there the individual came and merged himself, into the Infinite Individual, the Guru, whose myriad faced, myriad -handed reflection was the Sangat. It was called Sadh-Sangat, the Holy Assembly. To such a unique Assembly of Perfected Individuals, to this galaxy of glowing geniuses of love, the Guru himself paid homage with his divine humility. The Tenth Guru thus sings the praise of his own beloved Khalsa: “They make me what I am, For there are many like me that all forlorn, waste away alone!”

Those whom Guru Gobind Singh praises in such glowing terms and for whom he melts away in supreme emotion on many occasions, they alone can compose the Sikh Sangat, the Khalsa. It is the Assembly of “Guru Gobind Singhs” as all bodies of His Sikhs, the disciples, are only the vehicle of His spirit. The majesty and spiritual splendor of this ideal group of “Guru Gobind Singhs”, which had been the dream of Guru Nanak, and which Guru Gobind Singh named “Khalsa” is but the root of the kingdom of Righteousness planted in the garden of Anandpur. Angels and gods of Heaven walked in His shape in the wild forests of liberty. This was the Khalsa, the chosen, the Glorious, the myriad forms of the one Guru Gobind Singh!

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