PANJ  PYARAS                                                  

  ''THE FIVE BELOVED ONES''      

On the day of Baisakhi of 1699 A.D. a big and a beautiful tent was set up at the place of Keshgarh sahib. Behind the throne of the Guru, a small but beautiful tent was also erected.
When the Guru entered inside the tent, all people were amazed to see him. His eyes were shinning like fires, his face was glowing with a celestial bliss, his naked sword was glittering in his uplifted right hand and his whole body was looking like that of great warrior, who had just rushed into the battle field.
He said with thundering voice,''This goddess Bhagauti is always hungry for the heads, today she wants the heads of my dear Sikhs.''
A Sikh rose up and said,'' O, true Lord! My head is always at your service. The name of that Sikh was Bhai Daya Ram, a resident of Lahore.
The Guru caught him by his arm and took him into that small tent which was set up by behind the throne. Then the people heard a severe blow of sword and a stream of blood rushed out of the tent.
Similarly, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Sahib Singh and Bhai Himmat Singh were dragged into the tent and they met the same fate. At the end when Guru came out of the tent he was not alone, there were five others, who were looking like him. They were those'five one's' who had offered their heads to the Guru. All men were astonished to see five men alive and wearing beautiful robes. Then a drink called Amrit was prepared and was administered to PANJ PYARAS. Then the Guru asked all Panj Pyaras to administer Baptism to him. After that the Guru invited all the Sikhs to receive Baptism. Word Singh was added to the names of men and Kaur was added to the names of women. The Guru asked them to take an oath to keep five K's namely, KES(hair), KANGHA(comb),KIRPAN(dagger), KARA(bracelet) and KACHHA(short drawer).
Those five Sikhs who had offered their heads to the Guru at his amazing call were honoured by the Guru naming them as five 'BELOVED ONES'.
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