PilgrimTrips - India Pilgrimage

Guru Nanak laid the foundations of the faith by defining the path for his followers. His nine successors guided the disciples (Sikhs) to tread that path by themselves demonstrating how to stick to the truth at any cost. The tenth Guru bestowed the leadership position of the Guruship to the Sikhs themselves - the collective body of which is now called the Guru Khalsa Panth. This body is also popularly known as the Khalsa, the Panth, or the Sikhs, and it takes its inspiration and guidance from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In this chapter, the growth of Sikhism is outlined through the first five of these Gurus.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1539 CE)

Wherever Guru Nanak went, he established a Sangat, or religious congregation, in which all people, of all faiths and backgrounds, could sit together as equals to sing the praises of the Almighty. Guru Nanak also instituted Pangat, or community kitchen, where all people sat together as equals to partake of food which was distributed free to everyone. This community kitchen is also popularly referred to as langar. Today, Sangat and Pangat both prevail in Gurdwaras, and they remind us that all human beings are equal and have the same rights.

After visiting major religious places in various realms, Guru Nanak settled at Kartarpur. This was a small village founded by him with the help of his father-in-law and his disciples. He lived there for about 18 years, and he demonstrated the value of Sangat and Pangat. Members of all religions and all castes, including the so-called 'untouchable caste', attended these discourses and were equally welcomed to join the congregation. The rich and the poor, men and women, were all treated the same. Religious discourses were held every morning and evening. The Guru preached that God loves all people. He is not the 'enemy' of any community. Guru Nanak said the claim of some religious leaders that only followers of their faith would be 'saved', and everybody else was doomed to an eternity in hell, was totally wrong.

The significance and originality of this social and spiritual revolution can be understood properly only by examining the context in which Guru Nanak spread his message. Hatred among the religious communities in that area was rampant. Hindu Brahmins considered themselves to be superior to the rest of the Hindus. About one-sixth of Hindus were treated as untouchables. Hindus as a group hated Muslims, and referred to them as 'malechh', or unpious foreigners. Conversely, Muslims considered it a sacred duty to forcibly convert Hindus, and referred to them as 'kafirs', or non-believers unworthy of equal social and political rights. As one would expect from such philosophies, atrocities and hatred were on the rise. In this dangerous atmosphere, Guru Nanak boldly preached that the whole world is to be treated as one vast multicultural society. Guru Nanak stated that every person has the right to life, the right to equality, and the right to freedom of worship. No religious or political authority can take these rights away. He bluntly told Muslim religious leaders who were oppressing other faiths that what they were doing was wrong

These tyrants have thrown away the invaluable...If the powerful attack the powerful, then one is not obliged to respond. But if a frenzied lion were to fall upon a herd of cattle, the shepherd has to answer for it...He who understands the authority of the Lord becomes fearless of any mere king or emperor.

Rukan Din, a Muslim, wrote the following

Guru Nanak made remarkable headway. He carried on a struggle to end oppression and repression that prevailed in different countries. He raised the banner of justice and destroyed untruth and hypocrisy; so long as the weak did not obtain their rights he stood by them and regarded the powerful who lost their head in their arrogance as dastardly. He was the best specimen of piety.

Guru Nanak also ignored the claims of high-caste Hindu Brahmins to a religious and social monopoly on God. Maubid Zulfiquir Ardistani (Azur-Sasani), the Parsi author of the Dabistan-i-Mozahib, who had seen Sikhism in practice later, wrote: There is no restriction among them, that a high caste member cannot become a student of a low caste member. Similarly, they do not shirk in placing high caste people under the authority of lower castes. The high castes and the low castes became equal disciples of the Guru.

William Irvine, a Christian, would later state

In all the parganas occupied by the Sikhs, the reversal of previous customs was striking and complete. A low-caste person such as a leather-dresser, the lowest of the low in Indian estimation, had only to leave home and join the Sikhs when in a short space of time he would return to his birthplace, so respected that he could become its ruler, with his order of appointment in hand. As soon as he set foot within the boundaries, the well-born and wealthy went out to greet him and escort him home.

According to Guru Nanak, there is but One God, who is all-Truth, immortal, fearless, and without hate. He/She is not the God of any particular religion, but God of the universe, of all humankind and of all religions. Mutual regard and respect among all people was the foundation of true religion.

Before Guru Nanak left this earthly abode in 1539, he appointed Bhai Lehna as the second Nanak and renamed him Guru Angad Dev.

Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504-1552 CE)

Guru Angad Dev lived in the village of Khadur, situated on the right bank of the river Beas and a few miles upstream from the 'Pattan', or ford, on the highway that connected Delhi to Lahore. His father, a shopkeeper, was an ardent devotee of the Jwalamukhi Devi in the Kangra hills. After the death of his father, Guru Angad Dev started leading pilgrims to visit the Devi temple. It was during one of these journeys that he was struck with the desire to meet Guru Nanak. After hearing the Guru's discourses, Bhai Lehna felt that he had found what he wanted in life. In 1532, he handed over his business to his nephew and left to stay at Kartarpur. He learnt and practiced the principles of Sikhism under the guidance of Guru Nanak for seven years. Finally, he was chosen as the second Guru and directed to move to Khadur Sahib, the place of his original residence, to establish another Sikh center there.

Guru Angad Dev carried on the preaching of Sikh principles through the practice of Sangat and Pangat at this new center. He made Sikhism popular with the people of the region. He started centers for teaching Gurmukhi, the script in which Gurbani hymns are written. He appointed Baba Amar Das as his successor, the third Nanak.

Guru Amar Das Ji (1479-1574 CE) Guru Amar Das came to Khadur Sahib and served there for 12 years with great devotion and sincerity. His love for preparing and serving Langar won the hearts of the Sangat and Guru Angad Dev. Before being chosen as the third Guru, Baba Amar Das was deputed to establish a third Sikh center a few miles downstream from Khadur Sahib. This place belonged to Shri Gonda and the new center was thus named Goindwal Sahib.

To further strengthen societal bonds, Guru Amar Das constructed a Baoli, an open well with steps leading down to the water. He welcomed everyone from all religious communities to take water from the Baoli. The Guru established additional preaching centers which were called Manjis.

In order to incorporate 'untouchables' back into mainstream society, Guru Amar Das made Pangat a mandatory prerequisite for Sangat. In other words, he made it obligatory for all persons to sit together and partake of food as equals before they were allowed to attend congregational meetings and prayers. This removed the inferiority complex of so-called 'low castes' and the superiority complex of 'high castes'. It also removed the separation between rich and poor.

Some Hindu high castes, who found the burgeoning institutions of Sangat and Pangat to be a great blow to their prestigious social status, started harassing the Guru's followers. Local henchmen were hired to intimidate and harass Sikhs when they went to visit the Guru. The high castes lodged a formal complaint against the Guru with the Emperor, who was nearby at Lahore. Their objection was that the Guru was desecrating Hinduism by permitting untouchables to sit and eat alongside higher castes. The Emperor summoned the Guru to Lahore to reply to the charges levied against him.

Bhai Jetha, later Guru Ram Das, was sent to refute the charges on behalf of the Guru. After listening to the Guru's emissary, the Emperor not only rejected the memorandum of the high caste deputation, but he even decided to pay homage himself to the Guru by visiting Goindwal. Before meeting the Guru, the Emperor himself was required to observe the rules of Pangat, and partake of food sitting alongside common people. He was so pleased with the institution of Pangat that he wanted to donate a Jagir, or income from a unit of villages, for the expenses of Langar. Guru Amar Das declined the offer, stating that to remain a community enterprise, Langar had to be run out of the voluntary donations of disciples, not by imperial state funding.

Guru Amar Das established another preaching center which later became the headquarters of Sikhism. The requisite piece of land, encompassing a low-lying pond surrounded by natural vegetation, was chosen in 1570. The land belonged to the villages of Gumtala, Sultanwind, Gilwali, and Tung.

For this site, Guru Amar Das envisioned an Amrit Sarovar, a bathing pool open to all people, of every caste, creed, faith, or status. In the center of the pool, the Harimandar Sahib, or what is popularly called the Golden Temple, was to be constructed wherein nothing but God's virtues were to be sung.

Guru Amar Das obtained the land and prepared the layout plans and designs. Before passing away, he deputed the task of developing the site to Bhai Ram Das and named him as the fourth Nanak.

Guru Ram Das Ji (1524-1581 CE)

Digging and construction work continued throughout the life of Guru Ram Das Ji. The city was formally founded in 1577. People came from far and near to perform voluntary service and offer their contributions for this holy center, first named Chak Ram Das, then Ram Das Pur. Presently, it is famous as Amritsar. Guru Ram Das names Arjun Dev as the fifth Nanak.

Guru Arjun Dev Ji (1563-1606 CE)

Guru Arjun Dev Ji continued the construction work. He laid the foundation stone of the Harimandar Sahib, the sanctum sanctorum in the center of the pool, in 1589. The whole complex was erected with voluntary labor by devotees from all over the subcontinent. The edifice, which emerged from such pious hard work, continues to offer visitors an inspiring faith and unshakable confidence in the benevolence of the Almighty.

When the work by the Sikhs was nearing completion, a great famine struck the public. A smallpox epidemic began simultaneously. The efforts going towards the construction work were diverted by the Guru to help the hungry, the sick, and the needy, regardless of religious or community background. The Guru himself toured the affected areas and decided to live with the people in order to encourage them and help them in every possible manner. The Guru's own son was consequently afflicted by smallpox, but his life was saved. He later became the sixth Nanak.

The public and even the official administration were deeply moved by the selfless help provided by the Guru to alleviate their sufferings. The Faujdar, or administrator, of Jullundur was so impressed by these acts by the Guru that he requested the Guru to establish a Sikh center in his region as well. Accordingly, Guru Arjun Dev founded a new town, Kartarpur, ten miles from Jullundur on the main road towards Amritsar. The town of Tarn Taran, about fifteen miles to the south of Amritsar, was also built by Guru Arjun Dev. A huge pool and Gurdwara were constructed there. This Gurdwara served as a center for caring for the sick, for the elderly, and for orphans.

Guru Arjun Dev not only vigorously practiced and preached the already established three principles of Sangat, Pangat, and Sarovar, but he also took a fourth major step. He compiled the sacred scripture of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Granth Sahib was the first religious scripture of its kind. In addition to the original writings of the Gurus, including those of Guru Nanak, its contributors included many holy men from all over the region, including different religions. The criterion for inclusion was not religious affliation, but the belief of the contributor that the same spirit of God exists in every human being, a philosophy emphasized by the Guru. Guru Arjun Dev said: God is the Father/Mother of us all; His reflection is in every one of us, hence, do not grade any person as inferior or superior; in every heart there is God, none else than He speaks from there.

Guru Granth Sahib offered a radically new outlook and philosophy to the people. It taught them that realizing or perceiving God was not restricted to particular religions only, nor could any single person claim to be the exclusive representative of God on earth as was popularly believed by an assortment of different religions at that time.

Guru Arjun Dev observed that differences in language, culture, and appearance are related to differences in environment. All these variations are superficial differences and not inequalities. Human emotions in all people are the same.

To carry out this idea in practice, Guru Granth Sahib includes not just a Sikh name for God, but all the names prevailing throughout the region at that time, such as Waheguru, Allah, Ram, Gobind, Bhagwan, Rahim, and Karim. No longer would there be only one elite language that is considered sacred enough for God. All languages, such as Punjabi, Persian, Arabic, Hindi, Sanskrit, and local dialects were included in Guru Granth Sahib, as they are equally acceptable for singing God's praises. This is unique among the world's religious scriptures.

In the chapter above, we examined the revolutionary steps the Gurus took to reinforce the fragile bonds of mutual love in an otherwise fractured society. The Gurus preached that all humans had equal rights and that no section of them could be considered high or low based on their lineage. Anyone who wished to realize God should first love and respect his or her fellow human beings.

Sikhism, because of its principles and the examples of the Gurus, was accepted by almost everybody. This mass embracing of the new faith by former followers of the older religions shocked the Muslim rulers of the region, and they began to see Sikhism as a threat to their political hegemony and religious dominance. The Muslim government, therefore, began implementing a barbaric policy to suppress the Sikhs and liquidate their religion.