Born on January 5, 1666 in Patna, Guru Gobind Singh, formerly known as Guru Gobind Rai, introduced the ‘panj kakkar’, the five Ks, to the Sikh community.
SignificanceWith each having a significance of its own such as ‘kesh’ (unshorn hair symbolises holiness), ‘kangi’ (comb represents cleanliness), ‘kirpan’ (sword personifies self-defence and courage), ‘kachera’ (shorts like attire signifying control over desires), and ‘kada’ (a metal bangle that wards off the evil spirit), the ‘panj kakkar’ stands as a symbol of self-discipline promoting brotherhood and leading the faithful to follow the path of righteousness.
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Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the community, initiated ‘Khalsa’, ending the reign of living Gurus and passing the worship to the eternal ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, the holy book.
From then on, Sikhs began worshipping the sacred book as their only living God.
‘Prabhat pheri’, ‘akhand path’ and ‘kirtans’ followed by ‘langar’ marked the celebrations of the Guru Gobind Singh’s 348 birth anniversary at Gurudwara Sadh Sangat here on Tuesday.
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The shrine was decorated with fresh flowers where devotees and the faithful thronged the venue to offer prayers and witness the recital of hymns that reverberated all through the day.