300 Sala Khalsa Sirjana Diwas1999

This documentary is based on the Tercentenary celebrations of the Birth of Khalsa, at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib in 1999. By the end of the seventeenth century, Sri Guru Gobind Singh had come to the conclusion that the stage for a final call for ' DHARAMYUDH', the struggle for righteousness, had been reached. After purging his ranks of all the corrupt elements, he summoned his followers for a grand gathering, at Anandpur on the 30th of March 1699 A.D., the Baisakhi eve. On that historic day, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, dressed in full armor and with a naked sword in his hand, stepped onto the rostrum and addressing an eighty thousand strong congregation said in a voice charged with rare emotions, "All of you profess deep love for your Faith and highest regards for your Guru. Breathes there a soul, who is willing to offer his head for the sake of his Dharama? My sword is thirsting for it." The whole assembly was stunned and stupefied at this strange and unheard of call. There was a rather protracted pause and the Guru repeated the call. Dya Ram of Lahore, a Khatri by caste, now advanced towards the rostrum and with folded hands bowing before the Guru said, "My head, my Master, is at thy feet; I shall be blessed if it is accepted as a humble offering to my Guru." The Guru led him to a tent pitched at a distance, and a short while thereafter, came back to the assembly with the sword now dripping in blood, at the sight of which, many amongst the gathering preferred to slip away. The Guru repeated the call for another head; now  Dharam Das a Jat from Delhi, answered the call and he too was led to the same tent. When the Guru retuned, his mood and his sword were all the more awe inspiring. Thrice more he repeated the same call which, in turn, was answered by Muhkam Chand a washarman from Dwarka, Sahib Chand a barber  of Bidar and Himmat Chand, a water- carrier of Jagan Nath. They were also, in turn, led to the aforesaid enclosure. The people left in the congregation were almost holding their breath in anticipation of what may follow next. When they saw the Guru walking out of the tent followed by the five individuals who had offered their lives at his call,they were wonderstuck. Sri Guru Gobind Singh, pointing towards those brave souls described them as his 'BELOVED FIVE ' or ' PANJ PYARAS ',who would form the nucleus of a new Order,the Order of the Khalsa. The Guru was proud of them and baptized them with the double edged sword. When after the ceremony, the Guru requested them to baptize him, they, nay the whole assembly was taken aback. The Guru set their doubts at rest by declaring that he had merged his very soul in them, the Khalsa, and that henceforth, there would be no difference between him and the Khalsa. This is a unique example in the entire history of mankind, more especially in its spiritual annals, when the Guru was baptized and initiated into the order of the Khalsa at the hands of his disciples.

The Order of Khalsa is, therefore, a global fraternity of equal and God-fearing members who are morally awakened ,socially committed and wedded to the ideals of Freedom and Justice, which, at times ,may have to be attained and defended by the use of force. The establishment of the Order of the Khalsa was not an abrupt development, under Sri Guru Gobind Singh; it was rather a logical culmination of the basic tenets of the Faith, as enunciated by his founder Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev and as endorsed and enlarged by his successors. By instituting the Khalsa, Sri Guru Gobind Singh reaffirmed the Faith promulgated by Sri Guru Nanak Dev, consolidated the Sikh Panth to withstand external interference, inspired his Sikhs to defend the claims of conscience, at the risk of their lives and enabled them to stand on their own feet as a corporate body. In this process he sharpened the distinct socio-religious character of the Sikh-Panth; which allowed the Faith to propser and continue for over 300 years, a success which is at the heart of the documentaries subject.