GURU HAR GOBIND SAHIB JI

JYOTI JOT DIWAS- 19 MARCH 2014

• Guru har Gobind ji, (ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਰ ਗੋਰਬਿੰ ਦ ਸਾਰਹਬ) also saccha padshah (ਸੱਚਾ ਪਾਦਸਾਹ, "true emperor")-

--- (5 july 1595 – 19 march 1644 ).

• He was the sixth of the sikh gurus and became guru on 25 may 1606 following in the footsteps of

his father shri guru arjun dev. ji

• He was not, perhaps, more than eleven at his father's execution. Before ascension, he nominated

guru har rai ji, his grandson as the next guru of the sikhs.

• He put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority and the other, his temporal authority.

('Miri' symbolizing temporal power and 'piri' symbolizing spiritual power).

• He built the akal takht, the throne of the almighty.

• Founded the city of kiratpur in district jalandhar, punjab.

• He was imprisoned in the fort of gwalior for one year and on release insisted that 52 fellow

prisoners be freed as well. To mark this occasion, the sikhs celebrate bandi chhor divas.

• Fought four battles against the mughal rulers.

• The city hargobindpur, in majha region of punjab, is named after him, which he won over from

mughals after defeating them in a battle

• Guru sahib breathed his last on chet sudhi 5th (6th chet samvat 1701) 28th february 1644

(some chronicle record the date as 3rd march, 1644).

• It is said that when guru's body was placed on fire, and as the flames rose high, a large number of

sikhs tried to burn themselves on the funeral pier. Har rai sahib (guru) dissuaded them, but earlier

two had jumped into the pier and were consumed by the fire. Before his death guru sahib

nominated his grandson har rai sahib (the second son of baba gurditta ji) as his successor (seventh

nanak).