The Khalsa and the Five Ks

In 1699, at the spring festival of Vaisakhi in Anandpur, Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa, the community of initiated Sikhs. According to Sikh tradition, he asked for volunteers willing to give their heads, and the five men who stepped forward, from different castes and regions, became the Panj Pyare, 'the five beloved'. They were initiated with amrit, sweetened water stirred with a double-edged sword, and the Guru then asked them to initiate him in turn, symbolizing equality.

Initiated men took the name Singh ('lion') and women Kaur ('princess'), names that also challenged caste-based surnames. Khalsa members keep the Five Ks: kesh (uncut hair, usually covered by a turban), kara (steel bracelet), kanga (wooden comb), kachera (cotton undergarment) and kirpan (a small sword symbolizing the duty to protect the weak). The Khalsa gave Sikhs a visible identity and a commitment to defend justice at a time of conflict.