History of Baisakhi
Baisakhi Day: March 30th, 1699
The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, installed himself as the Emperor of India in 1657. To achieve his aim he had annihilated almost all his family opposition. Immediately after consolidating his power he embarked on a policy of religious persecution and set upon the process of Islamization of India. The Brahmins were his primary target. He levied unethical religious taxes against Hindus, and shut their temples and places of learning. He had been convinced by his clerics that once the Brahmins accepted Islam the others would follow. The Brahmins, particularly the inhabitants of Kashmir, looked for some dynamic leadership to fight this subversion.
The Brahmins of Kashmir approached Guru Tegh Bahadur
(1621-1675), the ninth in the line of Sikh Gurus, who was on the throne of the Sikh
religion. They asked him for guidance on combatting the atrocities committed by the Mughal
Emperor.
At the time of their meeting, Guru Tegh Bahadur's nine year
old son, Gobind Rai, was sitting beside him. As Guru Tegh Bahadur went into a deep state
of contemplation, his young son asked the reason of his repose. Guru Tegh Bahadur said
that the matter was of vital importance; the world is aggrieved by oppression; and no
brave man had yet come forward who was willing to sacrifice his life to free the earth
from the burden of' Aurangzeb's persecution of Hindus. Young Gobind Rai replied: "For
that purpose who is more worthy than thou who art at once generous and brave." So
after entrusting the Guruship to Gobind Rai, Guru Tegh Bahadur proceeded towards Delhi,
the seat of the Mughal Empire.
Upon reaching Delhi, the Guru and his
loyal attendants were immediately imprisoned by Aurangzeb. While in prison, Guru Tegh
Bahadur foresaw the beginning of his ecclesiastic journey. To test his son's courage and
capability to carry on the Guru's mission, he wrote him saying, "My strength is
exhausted, I am in chains and I can make not any efforts. Says Nanak, God alone is now my
refuge. He will help me as He did his Saints." In reply young Guru Gobind Rai wrote:
"I have regained my Power, my bonds are broken and all options are open unto me.
Nanak, everything is in Thine hands. It is only Thou who can assist Thyself." 
Guru Teg Bahadur offered his life for the freedom of
conscience and conviction of anyone belonging to a faith other than his own. His spirit of
sacrifice and courage was kindled into the heart of Gobind Rai.
Hundreds of people gathered around the place where Guru Tegh
Bahadur was martyred in Delhi. The executioner abandoned the Guru's body in the open. No
one came forward openly to claim the body to perform religious rites. Even ardent
disciples withdrew unrecognized. Taking advantage of the stormy weather that followed the
execution, two persons covertly took the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur for cremation. This
cowardice fomented in Gobind Rai an urge to endow his Sikhs with a distinct identity.
With the criteria of courage and strength to sacrifice,
Gobind Rai became the tenth Sikh Guru. He wanted to instill these principles in his
downtrodden followers. He wanted to uplift their morale to combat the evil forces of
injustice, tyranny, and oppression.
He was 33 years old when he had Divine inspiration to
actuate his designs. Every year at the time of Baisakhi (springtime), thousands of
devotees would come to Anandpur to pay their obeisance and seek the Guru's blessings. In
early 1699, months before Baisakhi Day, Guru Gobind Rai sent special edicts to congregants
far and wide that that year the Baisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them
not to cut any of their hair -- to come with unshorn hair under their turbans and chunis,
and for the men to come with full beards.
On Baisakhi Day, March 30, 1699, hundreds of thousands of
people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur Sahib. The Guru addressed the
congregants with a most stirring oration on his divine mission of restoring their faith
and preserving the Sikh religion. After his inspirational discourse, he flashed his
unsheathed sword and said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice:
He demanded one head for oblation. 
After some trepidation one person offered himself. The Guru took
him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with his sword dripping with blood, and
asked for another head. One by one four more earnest devotees offered their heads. Every
time the Guru took a person inside the tent, he came out with a bloodied sword in his
hand.
Thinking their Guru to have gone berserk, the congregants
started to disperse. Then the Guru emerged with all five men dressed piously in white. He
baptized the five in a new and unique ceremony called pahul, what Sikhs today know
as the baptism ceremony called Amrit. Then the Guru asked those five baptized Sikhs
to baptize him as well. He then proclaimed that the Panj Pyare -- the Five Beloved
Ones -- would be the embodiment of the Guru himself: "Where there are Panj Pyare,
there am I. When the Five meet, they are the holiest of the holy."
He said whenever and wherever five baptized (Amritdhari)
Sikhs come together, the Guru would be present. All those who receive Amrit from five
baptized Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and strength to sacrifice. Thus
with these principles he established Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure Ones.
At the same time the Guru gave his new Khalsa a unique,
indisputable, and distinct identity. The Guru gave the gift of bana, the
distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and
courage. These symbols, worn by all baptized Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known
today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the
iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the sword; and Kachera, the underwear. By
being identifiable, no Sikh could never hide behind cowardice again.
Political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was
lowering peoples' morale. Discriminatory class distinctions (--the Indian
"caste" system--) promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs were also responsible for the
peoples' sense of degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the
caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his
dream: both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among the original Panj
Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba,
washer-man; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave
the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From
Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. He also pronounced that all Sikh women embody
royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur (Princess). With the distinct Khalsa
identity and consciousness of purity Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opporunity to
live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality.
The birth of the Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs every
Baisakhi Day on April 13. Baisakhi 1999 marks the 300th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh's
gift of Panth Khalsa to all Sikhs everywhere.
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