Khalsa
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Khalsa which means 'Pure' is the name given by Guru Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking Amrit in ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Baisakhi, which fell on 30 March 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in India. The Sikhs celebrated the 300th anniversary of the day in 1999 with thousands of religious gatherings all over the world.
Historically, one of the male children (usually the first) of many Khatri Hindu families in the Punjab was intiated as a Khalsa Sikh.
The Khalsa must carry the five symbols, Panj Kakar, or the Five Ks:
- Kesh – uncut hair to represent the natural appearance of saintlihood.
- Kanga – a small comb.
- Kacha – shorts/underwear to denote chastity.
- Kara – steel bangle/bracelet as a sign of restraint and bondage, and a symbol of dedication to the Guru.
- Kirpan – a sword for defence. The Kirpan is a symbol of dignity, power and courage. Kirpan is from Kirpa (act of kindness, Sanskrit) + Aan (self respect, Persian).
He is to lead his life according to the Guru's teaching and repudiate non-Sikh rites and ceremonies. This includes leaving any caste.
All Sikhs were taught to treat all in the community as equals; no distinction was made of the different tiers of 'craftsmen' and professions.
The Khalsa as a military force
One of the duties of a Khalsa was to practice arms and be ready defend the weak. This was a necessity, due to the rising religious persecution from zealous Islamic Mughal rulers. The fifth Guru Arjan Dev was arrested and executed by Jahangir in 1606, and the persecution continued through the century. Jahangir's grandson Aurangzeb demanded that all Sikhs either convert to Islam or be killed.
In this context the Khalsa rose as a group as saint-warriors to withstand the Mughals. After the fall of the Mughal empire and the later establishment of a Sikh state in Punjab, the Khalsa became an instrument of the Punjab Maharajas, although an unruly one: The Khalsa was a democratic body, and could oppose the Maharaja.