Birthday of Guru Amar Das

May 23

….is a religious observance for the Sikhism followers.
Sikhs celebrate the birthday of Guru Amar Das on May 23, he was the third of the ten Sikh Gurus. He was a late bloomer and only became Guru in is seventies, but still had a great influence in Sikhism.

History of Guru Amar Das

Guru Amar Das was born under the name of Bhalla Khatri, in a village called Basarke. There isn’t much written about his young life. He was married and had two sons and two daughters. He strictly observed all the rituals and ceremonies of his family religion, he did not come in contact with Sikhism until he was over 50 years of age.

The wife of his brother, Bibi Amro, who lived near Amar Das, used to sing Guru Nanak’s hymns, and Amar Das eventually listened to her singing. When he listened attentively to the hymns he decided to ask her who wrote those hymns and as he knew where they had came from , Amar Das resolved to meet with the Guru at the time, Guru Angad.

He met with Guru Angad and became his disciple as the Guru immediately recognized the spiritual maturity of Amar Das.

Later as his teacher was about to die, he was chosen as the new Guru, but this didn’t feel good in the heart of one of the sons of Guru Angad who had declared himself Guru. Now Guru Amar Das had to move away to the city of Goindwal. Still, the Sikhs followed him in his teachings. He made many innovations and took brave steps forward in the Sikh religion.

One of his great ideas was to create what is still today practiced, the Langar, which is the serving of free vegetarian food. He instituted that anyone who wanted to see him had to sit at the Langar with everyone else and eat from the same meals prepared at the common kitchen. This came to contradict the injustice that prevailed from the Indian caste system.

He also protected women from injustices, he allowed widow remarriage and he prohibited widows to be burned in their husband’s funeral pyres.

He promoted the idea that the body is the temple of God and should be kept healthy until death, he did not approve the ascetics practices of self torture. He finally died in 1574, September 1, he worked all his life and all the offerings that he received went to his disciples, he led a saintly life and was recognized as such.

Birthday of Guru Amar Das Traditions, Customs and Activities

The Birthday celebrations of Guru Amar Das lasts for 3 days.

Two days before the birthday there is a team of men and women that start reading the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scriptures of Sikhs, from start to end without interruption, this is called the Akhand Path and is done at any Gurdwara, Sikh worship place.

The day before the birthday a procession is organized; the Panj Pyares lead the procession and are followed by musicians, dancers and gatka teams performing martial arts.

On the day of the birthday at early morning there are morning hymns, or Asa di Var, followed by an exposition of the Guru Granth Sahib. During the day there is food serving and everybody joins in prayers and joyous singing.