| Name(s) |
GURU AMAR DAS JI |
| Date of
Birth |
May 05, 1479 |
| Date of
Death |
September 01, 1574 |
|
Identity |
The Third of the
Ten Human Gurus of Sikhism |
|
Date-wise Events / Works |
- March 26, 1552:
- He, at the age of 72, was given the title of Sikh
Guru on this day.
|
|
Other Events &
Developments |
- He took up a strong fight against caste prejudices
and the curse of untouchability.
- He established in real sense the social equality amongst
all classes of the people.
- He introduced the Anand Karaj marriage ceremony for the
Sikhs, replacing the Hindu form of marriage rites.
- He also completely abolished amongst the Sikhs, the
custom of Sati, in which a married woman was forced to burn
herself to death in the funeral pyre of her husband.
- The custom of Purda, in which a woman was required to
cover her face with a veil, was also done away with.
- He strengthened the tradition of the free kitchen, Guru
Ka Langar (started by Guru Nanak).
- He established his headquarters in the town of Goindwal
Sahib, which was established by Sri Guru Angad Dev.
- He established an Administration system for management
of the increasing size of the Sikh congregations, called
Manjis.
- He gifted the prayer called Anand Sahib, which is one of
the Five Banis recited daily by devout Sikhs.
- The Guru contributed a total of 907 hymns to the Sri
Guru Granth Sahib.
- Before becoming a Sikh, he was a devout Vaishanavite
Hindu who spent most of his life performing all of the
ritual pilgrimages and fasts.
- He made it compulsory for the visitors to the Guru
saying that 'Pehle Pangat Phir Sangat' (first visit the
Langar then go to the Guru).
- He maintained cordial relations with emperor Akbar.
- He constructed a Baoli at Goindwal Sahib having
eighty-four steps and made it a Sikh pilgrimage centre for
the first time in the history of Sikhism.
- He chose his son-in law (Guru) Ram Das Ji to succeed him
because he was not satisfied with the spiritual levels of
his own sons.
|
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