THE FIVE LOVED ONES                      

By the supreme sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Delhi,the fame of the institution of Guru Nanak Ji spread to nook and corner of the country.The rich and the poor from far and near started coming to Anandpur to see and offer respects to Guru Gobind Rai. The Guru dispensed will the middle men called Masands to collect the offering and tithe from the Sikhs for Gurus institution.
With the end of middlemen,Sikhs themselves brought their offering to Anandpur. This resulted in increase of love for the institution and the devotees began to get pleasure beholding their Guru face to face. The muslim petty land lords and robbers began to harass the Sikhs devotees on their way to Anandpur with their offering.To escape the robberies and harassment on the way the Sikhs devotees armed themselves. They used the arms for self defence. The skirmishes were the signs of awakening of the lowly and down trodden classes.The Sikhs kept arms and had skills to use them but did not carry them all the time.
The Guru, finding the suitable time, decided to arm the Sikhs. He sent invitations to the Sikhs to assemble at Anandpur on Baisakhi Day, the 30th March 1699. An estimated eighty thousand Sikhs were present at Sri Kesgarh in the morning congregation. The Guru joined the congregation after recitation of Asa Di War was over. He had a shining sword in his hand. Showing the sword to the congregation, he said in a thunderous voice, 'I need a head. Is there a Sikh who is ready to present his head to his Guru.''
Seeing this phenomenon of a sword in the Guru's hand and the demand of head by the Guru, the congregation was terrified with disbelief and silence fell alla round. After the third call, Bhai Daya Ram, a kshatri by caste from Lahore, Punjab rose and requested, 'O, true lord, this body and soul belong to you and I offer it to you. Use it as your desire. I ask forgiveness for not offering myself on the first call.''
Holding him by arm, the Guru took him inside the tent. Dread and fear gripped. Congregation heard a sound from inside the tent as if the Guru had severed the head  of Bhai Daya Ram from the body.
The Guru again came to the congregation and asked for an another head. This time Bhai Dharam Dass, a farmer of Delhi offered his head. In this way, three other Sikhs- Bhai Himmat Rai, waterman of jagan Nath Puri, Orissa Bhai Mohkam Chand, Tailor of Dwarka, Gujrat and Bhai Sahib Chand, barber of Bider, Andhra Pradesh presented their heads to Guru.
After the five Sikhs had offered their heads to Guru, the Guru brought them out and presented  them before the congregation. They were the Panj Pyaras(the five loved ones) who had offered their heads to the Guru. They were dressed in the similar attire as to the one worn by the Gurus.They were the fully arrayed Singhs. The Gurus called for an iron bowl  and in that he put water of river sutlej and sugar  candy. Then the Guru and Guru began stirring the water in the five loved ones sat round that iron bowl.taking a doubled edged sword, the Guru  began stirring the water in the bowl and reciting the five banis (scared hymns).The five hymns recite were japu ji, jap sahib,swaiyas,chaupai and anand sahib.
After the completion of recitation of the five sacred hymns, the Guru said, ''This is the Amrit( nectar) which has been prepared. Khalsa ( the pure ) will be created with this nectar. Khalsa will be the army of Waheguru (god). Khalsa will destroy tyranny''.
The Nectar thus prepared was administred to the five loved ones. It was also sprinkled in their eyes and hair. By partaking of the nectar by the five loved ones, Khalsa was created. The Guru requested the Khalsa that he be administered by the bounty of the nectar and be made Khalsa. Having partaken the Amrit Guru Gobind Rai became Guru Gobind Singh.
The Guru bestowed the gift of the nectar on the Sikhs and made them Singhs (lions) and gave women the title of Kaur which means princess. He abolished the four castes and differences created by the Brahmins. He put women on equal footing to men in all respect. The differences between high caste and low caste people were abolished among the Singhs. All the Singhs became brothers. The dirt of ego was washed from the minds of Singhs and they were made Khalsa- the pure one.
The Guru made compulsory for the Singhs to wear five kakars: Kes( hair), Kangha(comb), Kara(iron bracelet), Kirpan (sword) and Kachhera(long breeches).
He also forbid them from the company of other women(adultery), to eat meat of animals killed slowly in Islamic ways, use of intoxicants(to smoke) and to cut hair and asked them to recite the five sacred hymns daily. He made Khalsa the saintly soldier.
It is worth nothing, that the five loved ones who offered their heads to the Guru were all from different states and only one of them was from Punjab. All five were from different places, different professions and spoke different languages. From this, one can imagine how far the roots of Sikhism were spread. The Guru's devotees were not only in Punjab and Delhi but were all over India. The whole of India was sick of the tyranny being committed and was ready to sacrifice everything, including their lives.