68-660: Kairon , is a small historical Indian village of the historical places like Gurudwara Jhar Sahib . this village in the district of Tarn-Taran , located in the north-west of Punjab . The village is home to a majority of Dhillon Jatt Sikhs. The village Kairon has population of 13000 and draws its fame for being the home village of the Kairon political family. The family has produced political leaders such as Nihal Singh Kairon , Pratap Singh Kairon , Jaswant Singh Kairon, Surinder Singh Kairon , Gurinder Singh Kairon and Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon . Currently, Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon who
136-527: A hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh ) bordering on a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ). Temperatures in Amritsar usually range from −1 to 45 °C (30 to 113 °F). It experiences four primary seasons: winter (December to March), when temperatures can drop to −1 °C (30 °F); summer (April to June), when temperatures can reach 45 °C (113 °F); monsoon (July to September); and post-monsoon (October to November). Annual rainfall
204-608: A Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth . Amar Das remained the leader of the Sikhs till age 95, and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha, later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das , as his successor. Amar Das was born to mother Bakht Kaur (also known as Sullakhani, Lakhmi Devi, or Rup Kaur ) and father Tej Bhan Bhalla on 5 May 1479 in Basarke village in what is now called Amritsar district of Punjab (India). His grandfather
272-465: A Sikh baby, as well as during a Sikh funeral. It is a section of the Anand Sahib composition of Guru Amar Das, printed on pages 917 to 922 of the Adi Granth and set to the "Ramkali" raga. Guru Amar Das's entire Anand Sahib composition is a linguistic mix of Panjabi and Hindi languages, reflecting Guru Amar Das' upbringing and background. The hymn celebrates the freedom from suffering and anxiety,
340-516: A crowd of about 50,000 marching to protest these arrests to the deputy commissioner. The crowd, however, was stopped by British colonial forces and fired upon near the railway foot-bridge. The official version reported that the number of casualties were 12 dead and between 20 and 30 wounded. Based on evidence presented to an inquiry of the Indian National Congress, fatalities were reported as between 20 and 30. Three days later, on 13 April,
408-442: A new town, and to create a man-made pool as its central point. After the coronation Guru Ram Das in 1574, who faced hostile opposition from the sons of Guru Amar Das, he founded the town; it was named after him as "Ramdaspur". He first completed the pool, and built his new official Guru centre and home next to it. He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle into the new town with him. The town expanded during
476-530: A possible successor for the guruship at some point. Shortly before his death , it is recorded in Ramkali Sadu (composed by his great-grandson, Baba Sundar ), that he called upon all of his familial relatives to acknowledge the new Guru, Ram Das, and personally placed the sandal paste on Bhai Jetha's forehead to anoint him as his successor. He died in 1574, in Goindwal Sahib, and like other Sikh Gurus he
544-661: A proclamation announcing that it is the "aim and intention of British policy to confer self-government on India at an early date". On 10 April 1919, Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, two popular proponents of the Satyagraha movement led by Gandhi, were called to the deputy commissioner's residence. There they were arrested and transported by car to Dharamsetla, a hill town, now in Himachal Pradesh. A general strike arose in response in Amritsar. Excited groups of citizens soon merged into
612-585: A semi-historical Sikh hagiographic text likely composed in 1741. It is the earliest known document dealing with the lives of all the ten Gurus. In 1762 and 1766–1767, Ahmad Shah of the Durrani Empire invaded the Sikh Confederacy . He besieged Amritsar, massacred the populace, and destroyed the city. During the reign of the Sikh Empire , in 1822 Maharaja Ranjit Singh fortified the city, starting from
680-555: A wall at Katra Maha Singh area. Among the Katras (fortified residential societies) constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh within the city were the following: Later, Sher Singh continued with construction of the city wall, adding twelve gates. He also had built a fort named Dhoor Kot ; its fortification were yards broad and 7 yards high. The circumference of the walled city was around five miles. The twelve gates constructed during this era were known as (including later renamings): When
748-505: A water-carrier in our house, and today thou sittest as a Guru. "Saying this he kicked the Guru off his seat. Amar Das humbly said: "O great king, pardon me. Thou must have hurt thy foot." Amar Das retired from Goindwal and hid himself in a house at Basarke, his home village. Datu set himself up as the Guru. Amar Das was persuaded by Baba Buddha to return, and Datu, finding no following, went back to Khadur . Guru Amar Das taught with his own life
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#1733092757128816-412: Is a traditional custom of women obscuring their face and bodies when in the company of men and secluding themselves from the company of men. Guru Amar Das was vehemently against this custom and is said to have once reprimanded the visiting raja (king) of Haripur and his wives when the latter observed the custom around him. One of the queens of the raja refused to part ways with veiling herself, in which
884-590: Is about 726.0 millimetres (28.6 in). The lowest recorded temperature is −3.6 °C (25.5 °F), was recorded on 9 December 1996 and the highest temperature, 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), was recorded on 23 May 2013. The official weather station for the city is the civil aerodrome at Rajasansi . Weather records here date back to 15 November 1947. Amritsar has been ranked 39th best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results' As of
952-556: Is also known for Amritsari food, and wooden chessboards and the chess pieces manufacturing industry. The Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal situated at Amritsar is believed to be the ashram site of Maharishi Valmiki , the writer of the Ramayana . As per the Ramayana, Sita gave birth to Lava and Kusha , sons of Rama at Ramtirath ashram. Numerous people visit Ramtirath Temple, Located 12 Km west of Amritsar on Chogawan road, dates back to
1020-890: Is being spent to expand the Amritsar- Jalandhar stretch of G.T. Road to four lanes. In 2010, elevated road with four lanes connected to the National highway for better access to the Golden Temple has been started. Amritsar has a bus rapid transit service, the Amritsar Metrobus which was launched on 28 January 2019. 93 fully air-conditioned Tata Marcopolo buses are used for the service connecting places like Following cities are Sister Cities of Amritsar: Guru Amar Das Guru Amar Das ( Gurmukhi : ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: [gʊɾuː əməɾᵊ d̯aːsᵊ] ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas ,
1088-527: Is famous in the Sikh tradition for his relentless service to Guru Angad, with legends about waking up in the early hours and fetching water for his Guru's bath, cleaning and cooking for the volunteers with the Guru, as well devoting much time to meditation and prayers in the morning and evening. Due to his selfless devotion to the second guru, Angad nominated Amar Das as his spiritual successor on 29 March 1552. After eleven years most devoted service of Guru Angad and
1156-630: Is located at 31°38′N 74°52′E / 31.63°N 74.87°E / 31.63; 74.87 with an average elevation of 234 metres (768 ft) in the Majha region of the state of Punjab in North India and lies about 15 miles (24 km) east of the border with Pakistan . Administrative towns includes Ajnala , Attari , Beas , Budha Theh , Chheharta Sahib , Jandiala Guru , Majitha , Rajasansi , Ramdass , Rayya , Verka Town and Baba Bakala . Typically for Northwestern India, Amritsar has
1224-495: Is married to the daughter of Parkash Singh Badal is the head of the family. He has been thrice a minister under the chief ministership of his father-in-law Parkash Singh Badal. Amritsar Amritsar ( Punjabi: [əmːˈɾɪtsəɾ] ; ISO : Amr̥tasara ), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as Ambarsar , is the second- largest city in the Indian state of Punjab , after Ludhiana . Located in
1292-799: Is the 12th busiest airport in the country in terms of international traffic. It serves Amritsar and several other districts in Punjab and neighbouring states. Amritsar Junction railway station is the main station serving Amritsar. It is the busiest railway station in Indian state of Punjab and one of the highest revenue-generating station of Northern Railways . Due to high traffic at the Amritsar Junction railway station , Indian Railways has planned to develop two satellite stations-Chheharta and Bhagtanwala, in order to decongest traffic at this station. As many as 6 trains would be shifted to Chheharta railway station in
1360-524: Is the economic capital of Punjab. It is a major tourist centre with nearly a hundred thousand daily visitors. The city has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) program of the Government of India . It is home of the Golden Temple , one of Sikhism religion's most spiritually significant and most-visited gurudwaras . The city
1428-453: Is the main religion of the Amritsar city at 49.36% of the population, followed by Sikhism (48.00%), Christianity (1.23%), and Islam (0.51%). Around 0.9% of the population of the city stated 'No Particular Religion' or other religion. Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism and about 30 million people visit it each year for pilgrimage. Languages spoken in Amritsar city (2011) At the time of
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#17330927571281496-435: The 2011 census , Amritsar municipality had a population of 1,159,227. The municipality had a sex ratio of 884 females per 1,000 males and 119,592 (10.32%) of the population were under six years old, with the child sex ratio being 826 females per 1000 males. Literacy was 83.81%; male literacy was 86.52% and female literacy was 80.76%. The scheduled caste population is 21.76%. According to 2011 Census of India , Hinduism
1564-514: The CBI is considered responsible for seizing historical artefacts and manuscripts in the Sikh Reference Library before burning it down. Four months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in what is viewed as an act of vengeance. Following her assassination, more than 17,000 Sikhs were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots . Amritsar
1632-575: The Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district . It is situated 217 km (135 mi) north-west of Chandigarh , and 455 km (283 mi) north-west of New Delhi . It is 28 km (17.4 mi) from the India-Pakistan border , and 47 km (29 mi) north-east of Lahore , Pakistan . According to
1700-410: The dasvandh ("the tenth" of income) system of revenue collection in the name of Guru and as pooled community religious resource, and the famed langar tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a free meal in a communal seating. He also started and inaugurated the 84-level step well called baoli at Goindval with a resting place, modeled along the lines of
1768-517: The 2011 census, 91.12% of the population spoke Punjabi and 7.90% Hindi as their first language. The city is part of the Amritsar (Lok Sabha constituency) . Amritsar is the second-largest city and district of Punjab. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities of Punjab. In the mid-1980s the city was famous for its textile industry. Amritsar's trade and industry faced a blow during militancy period in 1980s, but there are still many textile mills, knitting units and embroidery factories functional in
1836-567: The 2011 census, the city had a population of 1,132,383. It is one of the ten municipal corporations in the state; Karamjit Singh Rintu is serving as the mayor of the city. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Amritsar is the second-most populous city in Punjab and the most populous metropolitan region in the state, with a population of roughly 2 million. Amritsar is the centre of the Amritsar Metropolitan Region. Amritsar
1904-473: The Bagh and ordered his troops to begin shooting toward the densest sections of the crowd; the firing continued for approximately ten minutes. A British government inquiry into the massacre placed the death toll at 379. The Indian National Congress, on the other hand, estimated that approximately 1,000 people were killed. Amritsar was a center of unrest in the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Sikh militants occupied
1972-542: The British annexed Punjab in 1849, Amritsar was a walled city. The British built a thirteenth gate in 1866 known as Hall Gate, Neighborhood in Amritsar, Punjab. The British rulers would later demolish some of the walls and gates or reconstruct some. An entire new wall of the city was completed in 1885. Many surviving gates have since been renamed and no longer bear their mid-19th century names, while others have since been demolished. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , involving
2040-689: The British in South Africa had returned to India in January 1915 to work there for change and Annie Besant (1847–1933), head of the Theosophical Society of India . On 11 April 1916 she established the Home Rule League with the goal of autonomy for India. In December 1916, the Indian National Congress , at its annual session held at Lucknow , passed a resolution asking the king to issue
2108-541: The Ganges River, he heard Bibi Amro, the daughter of the Sikh Guru Angad, singing a hymn by Guru Nanak . Amro had been acquainted with Amar Das through her in-laws, whom Amar Das was related to (Amro was married to the son of Amar Das' brother). He learned from her about Guru Angad, and with her help met the second Guru of Sikhism and adopted him as his spiritual Guru who was much younger than his own age. Amar Das
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2176-473: The Golden Temple there. Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi , ordered Operation Blue Star (1 – 6 June 1984), an Indian military operation to remove the militants from the temple. The operation was carried out by Indian army troops equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles. While militarily successful, the operation aroused immense controversy. The government's justification for the timing and style of
2244-470: The Guru responded: "if thou art not pleased with the Guru's face why halt thou come hither." The Mughal Emperor Akbar met Guru Amar Das. According to the Sikh legend, he neither received Akbar nor was Akbar directly ushered to him, rather the Guru suggested that Akbar like everyone sit on the floor and eat in the langar with everyone before their first meeting. Akbar, who sought to encourage tolerance and acceptance across religious lines, readily accepted
2312-521: The Indian tradition of dharmsala , which then became a Sikh pilgrimage ( tirath ) center. Another organization analogous of the Manji was the Piri , which involved an appointed preaching official and missionary for Sikh assemblies and congregations whom were all women and instructed to spread Sikhism amongst womankind (especially women belonging to Muslim backgrounds). According to W. Owen Cole, establishment of
2380-500: The age of sixty, met the current Guru (Guru Angad) and became a Sikh, devoting himself to the Guru. In 1552, before his death, guru Angad appointed Amar Das as the third Guru of Sikhism . Guru Amar Das was an important innovator in the teachings of Guru who introduced a religious organization called the Manji system by appointing trained clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the contemporary era. He wrote and compiled hymns into
2448-448: The attack are hotly debated. India Today magazine has ranked Operation Blue Star as among the Top 10 Political Disgraces in India. Official reports put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83, with 493 civilians and Sikh militants killed. While independent estimates place the numbers upwards of 5,000 people, a majority of them pilgrims, including women and children. In addition,
2516-426: The backbone of local economy due to heavy tourist arrivals. Hundreds of small and some large hotels have sprung up to cater to the increased tourist inflow. Restaurants, taxi operators, local shopkeepers have all benefited from the tourist boom. Amritsar hosts Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport . The airport is connected to other parts of India and other countries with direct international flights to cities and
2584-485: The city. It is famous for its pashmina shawls, woolen clothes, blankets, etc. Among handicrafts, the craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district got enlisted on UNESCO 's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014, and the effort to revive this craft under the umbrella of Project Virasat is among India's biggest government-sponsored craft revival programs. Tourism and hospitality have recently become
2652-522: The company of pious men, worship the Lord, make an honest living, serve holy men, not covet another's wealth and never slander others. He recommended holy devotion with Guru's image in his follower's hearts. Guru Amar Das was also a reformer, and discouraged veiling of women's faces (a Muslim custom) as well as sati (a Hindu custom). He encouraged the Kshatriya people to fight in order to protect people and for
2720-560: The cost of ₹ 25,000 crore is approved under Bharatmala scheme which will cut the travel time from Amritsar to New Delhi by road from current 8 hours, to 4 hours. Another expressway, called Amritsar–Jamnagar Expressway is under construction which will connect Amritsar to Jamnagar in Gujarat . Additionally, NH 54 (Old NH15), NH 354 and NH 503A connect Amritsar to other parts of state and rest of India. A ring road will also be built surrounding all 4 sides of Amritsar ₹ 450,000,000
2788-534: The dates of Vaisakhi and Diwali as biannual affairs where Sikhs could gather together and meet directly with their guru. Amar Das is also remembered as the innovator who began the collection of hymns now known as Goindwal Pothi or Mohan Pothi , the precursor to what became the Adi Granth – the first edition of Sikh scripture – under the fifth Sikh Master, which finally emerged as the Guru Granth Sahib under
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2856-515: The demolition of a boundary wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. Later, they were disturbed about the activities and trials of the Ghadarites , almost all of whom were Sikhs. In India as a whole, political activity had arisen during the strains of war. Two leaders had emerged: Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), who after a period of struggle as a young man against
2924-658: The devotion to the Name. The hymn celebrates the life of a householder and constant inner devotion to the One, ending each stanza with the characteristic "says Nanak". Guru Amar Das is also credited in the Sikh tradition to have encouraged building of temples and places where Sikhs could gather together on festivals such as Maghi , Diwali and Vaisakhi . He required his disciples to gather together for prayers and communal celebrations in autumn for Diwali and in spring for Vaisakhi, both post harvest ancient festivals of India. Guru Amar Das
2992-400: The difficult to capture Chittorgarh , which the Guru gave and after the meeting he gave 84 villages in the name of his prominent Sikh Guru Ram Das after the Guru himself refused. Amar Das composed the rapturous hymn called Anand and made it a part of the ritual of Sikh marriage called " Anand Karaj ", which literally means "blissful event". Amar Das believed that a successful marriage
3060-547: The education of his son-in-law Jetha (future Guru Ram Das) in North Indian classical music , and Bhai Gurdas, in various languages and religious literature. Guru Amar Das was a strong opponent of sati , the practice of widowed wives being immolated on the funeral pyre of their deceased husband during the latter's cremation. He states the following regarding the practice: "Women are not Satis, who burn themselves with their husband's corpse. Rather they are Satis who die by
3128-575: The first phase. The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation has also planned to make the Amritsar Junction railway station a world-class railway station on lines of the international airport based on PPP model. The project has received an overwhelming response with bids from 7 private firms, including GMR . Amritsar is located on the historic Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road), also known as NH 1 now renumbered as National Highway 3 . An expressway by name of Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway at
3196-406: The holy city of Amritsar. Two versions of stories exist regarding the land where Guru Ram Das settled. In one, based on a Gazetteer record, the land was purchased, with Sikh donations, for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung. According to historical Sikh records, the site was chosen by Guru Amar Das and called Guru Da Chakk. The latter guru had asked Ram Das to find land to start
3264-455: The killings of hundreds of Indian civilians on the orders of British Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer , took place on 13 April 1919 in the heart of Amritsar, the holiest city of the Sikhs, on a day sacred to them as the birth anniversary of the Khalsa (Vaisakhi day). In Punjab, during World War I (1914–18), there was considerable social unrest, particularly among the Sikhs. First, they opposed
3332-468: The manji and piri systems may have been motivated by the large amounts of new converts coming into the Sikh faith, especially in the Punjab. However, many of these converts brought in beliefs and practices of their original faith, so the preachers were appointed to instruct them on proper Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy, essentially motivating them to choose the Sikh faith and all that comes with it, even if it involves discarding their old ways of spirituality in
3400-454: The meaning of Guru Service, also known in Punjabi religious parlance as Guru Sewa . (also spelt Sevā ) . Amar Das emphasized both spiritual pursuits as well as an ethical daily life. He encouraged his followers to wake up before dawn, do their ablutions and then meditate in silent seclusion. A good devotee, taught Amar Das, should be truthful, keep his mind in control, eat only when hungry, seek
3468-425: The mere shock of separation from their husband And, they, too, ought to be considered as Satis, who abide in modesty and contentment, Who wait upon their Lord and rising in the morn ever remember him." He further states: "Women are burnt in the fire with their husbands They undergo sufficient pain by their death. And if they appreciated not their husbands Nanak, why should they be burnt at all?" Purdah
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#17330927571283536-422: The period of Ramayana, Rishi Valmiki's hermitage. at the annual fair. The nearby cities Lahore and Kasur were believed to be founded by Lava and Kusha, respectively. It is believed that during the ashvamedha yajna by Rama, Lava and Kusha caught the ritual horse and tied Hanuman to a tree near to today's Durgiana Temple . In the Sikh tradition, Guru Ram Das , the fourth Sikh guru, is credited with founding
3604-487: The process. He appointed women to become the congregation leaders of the jurisdictions of Afghanistan and Kashmir . The women appointed for leading the Piri system of disseminating Sikhism to women were Bhani (his younger daughter), Bibi Dani (his elder daughter), and Bibi Pal, all of whom were intellectual types. The Piri system also educated womenfolk in social plus religious norms and customs. Amar Das personally patronized
3672-460: The sake of justice, stating this is Dharma . He promoted inter-caste marriages , going against the traditional Punjabi social orthodoxy at the time by doing-so. He also promoted the remarriage of widows. He promulgated monogamy as the ideal romantic relationship type. Guru Amar Das started the tradition of appointing manji (zones of religious administration with an appointed chief called sangatias, whom were both men and women), introduced
3740-442: The sangats, Amar Das was nominated the third guru. Amar Das moved to Goindwal situated not far away from Khadur on the bank of river Beas on the high road to Lahore, about 8 kilometres from Kapurthala and 45 kms. from Amritsar. He did so to avoid the pending conflict with Angad's sons who had not approved of their supersession. Even at Goindwal he was harassed by Angad's son Datu. He went to Goindwal and said: "Only yesterday thou wert
3808-463: The suggestion. After the conclusion of the Langar, Akbar sat in the congregation with the rest of the sangat and asked the Guru a question. The Sikh hagiographies called janam-sakhis mention that Guru Amar Das persuaded Akbar to repeal the tax on Hindu pilgrims going to Haridwar. Prominent Sikh figure Bhai Mani Singh (1718), mentions prior to the meeting Akbar pleaded the Guru for a blessing in annexing
3876-409: The temple of Hari (God), also known as the Golden Temple . It is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Sikhism. Scholars such as Pashaura Singh , Louis E. Fenech and William McLeod state that Guru Amar Das was influential in introducing "distinctive features, pilgrimages, festivals, temples and rituals" that ever since his time have been an integral part of Sikhism. He was responsible for solidifying
3944-447: The tenth Sikh Master. The nearly 900 hymns composed by Guru Amar Das constitute the third largest part, or about 15%, of the Guru Granth Sahib . Amar Das had four people in mind that would succeed him as the next Guru: He devised four tests for them all to undertake to decide who will inherit the guruship. It is said that only Jetha passed them all. It has been postulated that he may have considered his own daughter, Bhani, as
4012-487: The three main regions of Punjab. The Baoli Sahib was the first truly Sikh pilgrimage site and it helped attract new prospective members to the faith. Guru Amar Das selected the site in Amritsar village for a special temple, that Guru Ram Das began building, Guru Arjan completed and inaugurated, and the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh gilded. This temple has evolved into the contemporary "Harimandir Sahib", or
4080-501: The time of Guru Arjan Dev, financed by donations and constructed by volunteers. town grew to become the city of Amritsar. After the son of Guru Amar Das built the gurdwara Harmandir Sahib , the pool area developed further as a temple complex. In 1604 Amar Das's son installed the scripture of Sikhism inside the new temple. The period and achievements of construction between 1574 and 1604 are described in Mahima Prakash Vartak ,
4148-458: The traditional festival of Baisakhi, thousands of unarmed Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh . An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 16:30, Dyer arrived with a group of sixty-five Gurkha soldiers (from the 9th Gorkha Rifles ) and twenty-five Baluchi soldiers (from the 59th Scinde Rifles ). Without warning the crowd to disperse, Dyer blocked the main exits from
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#17330927571284216-551: The union of the soul with the divine, describing a devotee's bliss achieved through the Guru with inner devotion and by repeating the Name of the Creator. The hymn states in stanza 19 that the Vedas teach "the Name is supreme", in stanza 27 that Smriti and Shastra discuss the good and the bad but are unreal because they lack a Guru and that it is the grace of the Guru which awakens the heart and
4284-531: Was Hari Das. His family belonged to the Bhalla gotra (clan) of the Khatri tribe. Amar Das was the eldest child out of four sons. Amar Das worked as both an agriculturalist and a trader. In his early 20s, Amar Das married Mansa Devi and they had four children which they named Dani (daughter; born in 1530), Bhani (daughter; born 3 August 1533), Mohan (son; born 11 March 1536), and Mohri (son; born 2 June 1539). Bhani
4352-587: Was cremated, with the "flowers" (remaining bones and ash after the cremation) immersed into harisar (flowing waters). Whilst the most commonly accepted and recorded date for Guru Amar Das' birth year is 1479, many sources give a much later date of 1509. Some sources that affirm the 1479 year of birth for the guru are: Ganda Singh's Makhaz-i-Twarikh-i-Sikhan , Karam Singh's Gurpurab Nirnay , Kahn Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh , Max Arthur MaCauliffe 's The Sikh Religion , and Giani Gian Singh's Panth Prakash and Twarikh Guru Khalsa . Sources that give
4420-579: Was his favourite child of the four. Amar Das had followed the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism for much of his life. He was reputed to have gone on some twenty annual pilgrimages into the Himalayas , to Haridwar on river Ganges . About 1539, on one such Hindu pilgrimage, he met a Hindu monk ( sadhu ) who asked him why he did not have a guru (teacher, spiritual counselor) and Amar Das decided to get one. On his return from his twentieth pilgrimage to
4488-407: Was one in which the souls of the husband and wife became one metaphorically: "They are not husband and wife who sit together. Rather are they wife and husband who have one sprit in two bodies" The Anand hymn is sung, in contemporary times, not only during Sikh weddings but also at major celebrations. Parts of the "Anand hymn" are recited in Sikh temples ( Gurdwara ) every evening, at the naming of
4556-480: Was responsible for establishing a new centre of Sikh authority at Goindwal and erecting a stepwell known as Baoli Sahib at the location. The foresight of the Guru building a headquarters at the central location of Goindwal in the Punjab on the bank of the Beas River, being intersected by the three major cultural regions of the area ( Majha , Malwa , and Doaba ), may have facilitated the fast-spread of Sikhism throughout
4624-536: Was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. Before becoming a Sikh (Shishya from Sanskrit), on a pilgrimage after having been prompted to search for a guru , he heard his nephew's wife, Bibi Amro, reciting a hymn by Guru Nanak , and was deeply moved by it. Amro was the daughter of Guru Angad , the second and then current Guru of the Sikhs. Amar Das persuaded Amro to introduce him to her father and in 1539, Amar Das, at
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