Vahiguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vahiguru Ji Ki Fatih!

Today, we reverently celebrate the Gurgaddi Divas (Coronation Day) of Guru Ramdas Sahib.

Guru Ramdas Sahib was born as Jetha—the firstborn—in Chuna Mandi, Lahore, in present-day Pakistan. He came into this world in a humble and impoverished family. Orphaned at seven and raised by his grandmother, he sustained himself by selling chickpeas.

At twelve, he moved to Goindwal, where Guru Amardas Sahib resided. It was there, captivated by the Guru’s presence and the warmth of the Sikh sangat, that Jetha chose to make Goindwal his home, dedicating himself to the Guru's service.

Guru Amardas Sahib was deeply impressed by Bhai Jetha’s selfless service and married his daughter, Bibi Bhani, to him. Bhai Jetha’s devotion was so profound that he and Bibi Bhani set aside societal norms, choosing to remain by the side of Guru Amardas Sahib. With humility and love, they dedicated themselves to serving the Guru and the community, despite it being against custom for a groom to stay with his in-laws.

Later, as Guru Amardas Sahib’s emissary, Bhai Jetha went to Emperor Akbar’s court in Lahore to respond to objections raised by the Brahmins against the institution of Langar, which challenged the established religious and social customs tied to caste and ritual purity. With clarity and conviction, Bhai Jetha affirmed that everyone was equal before the Divine. His response impressed Emperor Akbar, who dismissed the objections of the Brahmins.

As a devoted disciple of Guru Amardas Sahib, Bhai Jetha became Ramdas—servant of the Divine. In boundless love, he became one with Guru Amardas Sahib. Before departing from the earthly realm, Guru Amardas Sahib bestowed the mantle of Guruship upon him, entrusting him with the responsibility of carrying forward the eternal light of Guru Nanak Sahib’s house.

During his Guruship, Guru Ramdas Sahib strengthened the manjis (an administrative system) that Guru Amardas Sahib had established, ensuring that the Guru’s message spread far and wide through appointed emissaries. Through this well-organized network, the Guru remained intimately connected with the Sikhs. This same network was also employed to raise funds for acquiring land, on which the city of Amritsar would be built.

With his divine foresight, Guru Ramdas Sahib laid the foundation of Amritsar. He purchased land about forty kilometers northwest of Goindwal, developing the area as Guru ka Chak or Chak Ramdas, which later became Ramdaspur and ultimately Amritsar. The Guru initiated the digging of the sarovar, within which Sri Harimandar Sahib now stands. He invited Sikhs to settle in the city and welcomed merchants and artisans to establish homes and livelihoods. Under his guidance, Amritsar flourished, soon becoming a prominent center of trade and a hub for the Sikh community.

Guru Ramdas Sahib revealed six hundred and forty-four hymns in thirty different rags (musical modes). Among his most significant contributions is the Lav (popularly lavan), a four-stanza composition that today forms the centerpiece of the Anand Karaj, the Sikh marriage ceremony.

In time, Guru Ramdas Sahib passed the light of Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Arjan Sahib, appointing him as the fifth Guru. Shortly after, Guru Ramdas Sahib retired to Goindwal, where he merged with the Divine light on 1 September 1581.

Bhai Balvand and Bhai Satta, in their composition Ramkali ki Var, celebrate Guru Ramdas Sahib in these words, testifying to his divine stature:

ਧੰਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਗੁਰੁ   ਜਿਨਿ ਸਿਰਿਆ ਤਿਨੈ ਸਵਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਪੂਰੀ ਹੋਈ ਕਰਾਮਾਤਿ   ਆਪਿ ਸਿਰਜਣਹਾਰੈ ਧਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਸਿਖੀ ਅਤੈ ਸੰਗਤੀ   ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਕਰਿ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਅਟਲੁ ਅਥਾਹੁ ਅਤੋਲੁ ਤੂ   ਤੇਰਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਜਿਨੀ੍ ਤੂੰ ਸੇਵਿਆ ਭਾਉ ਕਰਿ   ਸੇ ਤੁਧੁ ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਮੋਹੁ   ਮਾਰਿ ਕਢੇ ਤੁਧੁ ਸਪਰਵਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਧੰਨੁ ਸੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਥਾਨੁ ਹੈ   ਸਚੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਪੈਸਕਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤੂ  ਲਹਣਾ ਤੂਹੈ   ਗੁਰੁ ਅਮਰੁ ਤੂ ਵੀਚਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਗੁਰੁ ਡਿਠਾ ਤਾਂ ਮਨੁ ਸਾਧਾਰਿਆ ॥੭॥‍

     ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ੯੬੮
‍

Blessed, blessed is Guru Ramdas; (the One) who has created; That (One) alone has adorned.
Complete miracle has happened; by Own-Self, the Creator has established.
Sikhs and sangat, having considered (him) Transcendent Being, have saluted.
You are steady, unfathomable, unweighable; there is no end limit of you.
(Those) who have served you, having placed love, those you have taken across.
Greed, avarice, lust, anger, attachment; you have killed (and) driven out with (their) family.
Blessed is your place; true is your group of disciples.
You are Nanak; you are Lahina; you (alone) have been known as Guru Amardas.
(When one) saw the Guru, then the mind became supported.7.‍

     Guru Granth Sahib 968
‍

Indeed, the miracle was complete when the once-destitute rose to lead the Sikh nation, embodying the very image of the Divine. It is the Creator who graced and established the Guru. In Guru Ramdas Sahib, the transformation and the miracle was indeed complete.

May we continue to be inspired by the transformation and the miracle, the foresight and the devotion—by the steady, unfathomable, unweighable Guru Ramdas.

In celebration,
The SikhRI Team