For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti: 16 Facts About 10th Sikh Guru That You May Not Know

Guru Gobind Singh who is also spelt as Guru Govind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikh community. Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti marks his birth anniversary and is one of the most important occasions celebrated and observed by Sikh people. This year his birth anniversary will be celebrated on 20 January 2021. His life and teachings are an inspiration for the Sikh people.

Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti

New Year 2020: Things To Avoid Doing On New Year's DayNew Year 2020: Things To Avoid Doing On New Year's Day

Today on his birth anniversary, we are here to tell you some facts about Guru Gobind Singh. Scroll down the article below to read more about his life.

1. Guru Gobind Singh was born as Gobind Rai to Guru Teg Bahadur (father) and Mata Gujri (mother) in the year 1666 in Patna, Bihar.

2. At the age of nine, he was made the tenth Guru of Sikh people. This happened when his father Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs was beheaded on the orders of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor, for refusing to convert to Islam and gave his life to protect the Kashmiri Hindus.

3. During his childhood, Guru Gobind Singh learned several languages such as Sanskrit, Gurumukhi, Hindi, Braj, Urdu and Persian.

4. In order to become a good and strong warrior, he learned martial arts.

5. He left his hometown in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab after he had a scuffle with local people and went to Nahan in Himachal Pradesh after receiving an invitation from Mat Prakash, the King Of Sirmur.

6. Paonta Sahib, a gurudwara in Paonta, which is a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh was founded by Guru Gobind Singh. It is the same place where Guru Gobind Singh shared his important teachings and wrote them.

7. At the age of 19, in September 1688, Guru Gobind Singh fought a battle against Bhim Chand, Fateh Khan the King of Garwal and many other local kings in the Sivalik Hills. The war lasted only for a day and Guru Gobind Singh won.

8. In the year 1699, he founded the Khalsa community and Vani- "Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh". It was then he named all his followers 'Singh' which means Lion in Hindi. The famous five K's or principle of Sikhs was founded on the same day. Those five K's are Kesh (hair), Kangha (wooden comb), Kara (iron bracelet), Kaccha (knee-length shorts) and Kirpan (sword). The Khalsa community are basically Sikh people only but with a motto of protecting the innocent and weaker section of the society from persecution.

9. Guru Granth Sahib contains all the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh and was made the next Guru for the Sikh community by Guru Gobind Singh himself.

10. After going through regular conflicts and persecution by Aurangzeb, Guru wrote him a letter in Persian that highlighted the violent, inhuman and misdeeds by the Mughals on Sikh people. The letter is now famously known as Zafarnama or Epistle of Victory.

11. After Aurangzeb died and Bahadur Shah ascended the throne, things seemed to get better as Shah was friendly with Sikh people and titled the Guru as Hind Ka Pir. But then Shah was persuaded by Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sirhind to kill Guru Gobind Singh and teach a lesson to Sikh people.

12. As a result, in 1707, two attackers Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg were sent to kill Guru while he was sleeping. They stabbed Guru in his sleep, however, Guru fought valiantly and the attackers were killed.

13. Guru Gobind Singh died of wounds on 7 October 1708.

14. According to Guru Gobind Singh, one must not raise a sword unless all methods of settling down a conflict fail. Therefore, he fought wars only against injustice and oppression.

15. He was a lover of arts and he composed many poems too.

16. He considered the entire Khalsa and Sikh community as his own children. People call him 'Sarvansh Dani' as he sacrificed his life for the welfare of people.

Why Is Lord Krishna Called Ranchod And Who Gave Him This NameWhy Is Lord Krishna Called Ranchod And Who Gave Him This Name

Guru Gobind Singh was a warrior, poet, spiritual teacher and philosopher. Through the religious scriptures, he passed on his wisdom to the people of his community. To commemorate him, every year the Sikh community celebrates his birth anniversary with great zeal and fervour. People celebrate this day by praying for the welfare and prosperity of mankind. They read the teachings of their teacher from Guru Granth Sahib and participate in the Kirtan.