Page 15 - Gurmat Book 4

Lesson 6: Contributions of Guru Amardas Ji

Guru Amardas Ji had moved to Goindwal Sahib after Guru Angad Dev Ji

passed away. He strengthened the tradition of ‘Guru Ka Langer’ and made it

a must for the visitor to the Guru. He declared, ‘Pehle Pangat, Pachhay
Sangat’. Once Emperor Akbar came to see Guru Ji and he had to eat Langar

before he could have a meeting with Guru Ji. He was impressed from the

Langar tradition and expressed his desire to grant royal property for ‘Guru

Ka Langar’, but Guru Ji declined it respectfully.

Guru Amardas Ji constructed Baoli at Goindwal Sahib with eighty-four

steps and made it a Sikh pilgrimage center for the Sikhs. A baoli is a well
with steps to go into it.

Guru Amardas Ji did a lot of work to spread the message of Guru Nanak to

faraway places. He established 22 Manjis or Sikh centers. He also

reproduced more copies of the Bani of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Angad

Dev Ji. He composed 907 hymns that were later included in Guru Granth

Sahib. His Bani Anand Sahib is sung every day at every Gurdwara.

A Hindu custom was that when a husband died, his wife would be burned
alive with his dead body. It was believed that a woman has no life without

her husband. But Guru Amardas Ji preached against this awful Sati

tradition of widow burning. He advocated widow-remarriage. He asked the

women to discard the tradition of ‘Purdah’, covering their faces while in

public. He believed the women should not have to hide. They had the same

rights as men. He also introduced new and simple birth, marriage and death
ceremonies.

Everyone loved him. People admired and respected his devotion and humility.

Soon Sikhs from all over came to him. All this made Guru Angad's elder son,

Datu, very angry. He felt that he should have been the Guru. He felt that

he had been deprived of his right to Gurgaddi by Guru Amardas. He was

Stepping Stones Gurmat Sikhia Book 4G 2023 Edition Page 13