Guru Gobind Singh Ji Prakash Purab: the tenth Guru, born at Patna Sahib

The Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji celebrates the birth in 1666 of the tenth Sikh Guru. He was born Gobind Rai at Patna, in Bihar, to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and Mata Gujri Ji, while his father was travelling in the east. Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, one of the five Takhts, marks the place.

Childhood and Guruship

Gobind Rai spent his early years in Patna, where tradition remembers his games with the local children and the love of the townspeople, before the family moved to Anandpur Sahib. In 1675 Kashmiri Pandits came to his father seeking protection from forced conversion; the nine-year-old is remembered as saying that no one was more worthy to stand for them than his father. After Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji gave his life in Delhi, Gobind Rai became Guru.

Saint, soldier and poet

At Anandpur Sahib and Paonta Sahib he trained in arms, studied languages and gathered poets and scholars around him. On Vaisakhi in 1699 he created the Khalsa, giving the Sikhs Amrit, the five Ks and the name Singh or Kaur. He fought many battles in defence and lost his father, his mother and all four of his sons, yet remained without bitterness. Before his Joti Jot at Nanded in 1708 he passed the Guruship to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Guru Khalsa Panth.

How the day is celebrated

The Gurpurab is celebrated with Akhand Paath, Prabhat Pheris, Nagar Kirtan and langar, above all at Patna Sahib, where sangats come from across the world. Gurdwaras everywhere hold kirtan of his compositions, and many Sikhs read Jaap Sahib and Tav Prasad Savaiye, his banis in the Nitnem.