Creation of the Khalsa - Vaisakhi 1699

Dadi: "Guddu, today I'll tell you about a day that changed history—when eighty thousand people gathered, and one brave question created a new brotherhood."

Guddu: "Eighty thousand people? That's like a whole city!"

Dadi: "It was! The year was 1699, and Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, had sent messages to all Sikhs: "Come to Anandpur on Vaisakhi. This year will be different. Come with your full beards and uncut hair.""

Guddu: "Why was it going to be different?"

Dadi: "Nobody knew yet. The Sikhs had suffered terribly under the Mughal emperor. Guru Gobind Singh's own father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, had been executed for standing up for religious freedom. The Guru had a plan to make his people strong—but first, he needed to test them."

Guddu: "A test? What kind of test?"

Dadi: "The most dramatic test imaginable. When eighty thousand people had gathered, Guru Gobind Singh walked out with a drawn sword. His voice rang out: "I need a head! Who will offer me their head?""

Guddu: "*gasps* He asked for someone's HEAD?!"

Dadi: "The crowd went silent. People looked at each other in fear. Was their Guru serious? He asked again. And again. Then, one man stood up—Daya Ram from Lahore. "My head is yours, Guru ji.""

Guddu: "What happened to him?"

Dadi: "The Guru took him into a tent. Moments later, he came out—his sword dripping with blood. The crowd gasped in horror. But the Guru called out again: "I need another head!""

Guddu: "And people still came forward?!"

Dadi: "One by one, four more brave souls stepped up—Dharam Das, a farmer; Mohkam Chand, a washerman; Himmat Rai, a water-carrier; and Sahib Chand, a barber. Each went into the tent. Each time, the Guru emerged with a bloody sword."

Guddu: "Dadi, this is scary! What really happened in that tent?"

Dadi: "*smiling* Finally, the Guru opened the tent—and all five men walked out alive! They were dressed in beautiful matching robes, standing tall and proud. The blood had been from goats. It was a test of absolute faith."

Guddu: "Oh! He was testing who loved him enough to give their life?"

Dadi: "Exactly. These five became the Panj Pyare—the Five Beloved Ones. And here's what made them special: look at who they were! A shopkeeper, a farmer, a washerman, a water-carrier, a barber—from different places, different castes, different social levels."

Guddu: "Usually rich people are considered more important, right?"

Dadi: "In those times, yes. But Guru Gobind Singh said, "No more!" He prepared a special ceremony called Amrit—stirring water and sugar in an iron bowl with a double-edged sword while reciting sacred verses."

Guddu: "What happened when they drank it?"

Dadi: "They became the first members of the Khalsa—the Pure Ones. The Guru gave them new names, all ending in "Singh" meaning lion. Daya Ram became Daya Singh. They were now brothers, equals, warriors of faith."

Guddu: "Did the Guru drink the Amrit too?"

Dadi: "This is the most beautiful part, Guddu. The Guru—this great leader of thousands—knelt before these five ordinary men and asked THEM to initiate HIM into the Khalsa!"

Guddu: "The Guru bowed to his own students?"

Dadi: "Yes! He showed that in the Khalsa, there is no high or low. Teacher and student, rich and poor, all are equal before God. His name changed from Gobind Rai to Gobind Singh that day."

Guddu: "What about all those other people watching?"

Dadi: "By that evening, thousands had taken Amrit and joined the Khalsa. The Guru gave them the Five Ks to always wear—Kesh, uncut hair; Kangha, a comb; Kachha, special shorts; Kara, a steel bracelet; and Kirpan, a sword."

Guddu: "Why those five things?"

Dadi: "Each one has meaning. The uncut hair shows acceptance of God's will. The comb represents discipline. The shorts remind them to be pure. The bracelet connects them to truth. And the sword? To protect the weak, never to attack."

Guddu: "So Sikhs still wear these today?"

Dadi: "Every initiated Sikh does. And every Vaisakhi, Sikhs around the world celebrate this day—when five brave souls said "yes" to the ultimate test, and a community of equals was born."

Guddu: "Those five men must have been really scared when they went into that tent."

Dadi: "Of course they were scared. Courage isn't about not feeling fear—it's about doing the right thing despite the fear. That's why we remember them. That's why their story still inspires us today."

Guddu: ""Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!" Did I say it right?"

Dadi: "*beaming* Perfect, beta. "The Khalsa belongs to God. Victory belongs to God." Now rest. Tomorrow you can tell your friends about the five lions who weren't afraid."

Guddu: "Good night, Dadi. I want to be brave like them!"

Dadi: "You already are, my little lion. You already are."