Guru Amar Das

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Guru Amar Das bigraphy, stories - Indian religious leader

Guru Amar Das : biography

31 March 1479 – 1 September 1574

Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574) was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was given the title of Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552. He died at an age of 95.

His life

Guru Amar Das was the eldest son of Tej Bhan Bhalla, a farmer and trader, and Mata Lachmi. The Guru’s father was a shopkeeper in the village of Basarke near Amritsar.

Guru married Mata Mansa Devi and had four children – two sons (Mohan & Mohri) and two daughters (Bibi Bhani & Bibi Dani). Bibi Bhani later married Bhai Jetha who became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das (see article Platforms of Jetha).

Guru Amar Das became Sikh Guru at the age of 72 following in the footsteps of his teacher Guru Angad, who died on 29 March 1552 at age 48. Guru Amar Das established his headquarters in the town of Goindwal Sahib, which was established by Guru Angad.

Guru Amar Das took up cudgels of spirituality to fight against caste restrictions, caste prejudices and the curse of untouchability.

He strengthened the tradition of the free kitchen, Guru Ka Langar (started by Guru Nanak), and made his disciples, whether rich or poor, whether high-born or low-born in the Hindu caste system, have their meals together sitting in one place.

He thus established social equality amongst the people. Guru Amar Das introduced the Anand Karaj marriage ceremony for the Sikhs, replacing the Hindu form.

He also completely abolished amongst the Sikhs, the custom of Sati, in which a married woman was forced to burn herself to death in the funeral pyre of her husband. The custom of Paradah (Purdah), in which a woman was required to cover her face with a veil, was also done away with.