Baba Buddha is a unique....
Baba Buddha is a unique personage in Sikhism. He was a contemporary of the first six Sikh Gurus and had personally performed the anointment ceremony for Gurus from second to sixth.
Baba Buddha was born in 1506 AD in village Kathu Nangal (District Amritsar). He met Guru Nanak for the first time in 1518 AD when the Guru had visited his village. He impressed the Guru as having an old head on young shoulders and won the appellate of "Buddha" (old). In 1604 AD Baba Buddha became the first Granthi (priest of the Golden Temple and in that capacity completed the first path (perusal) of the Adi Granth.
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji had no offspring from his first marriage. His first wife Mata Ram Devi died without giving birth to a child. Then He was married to Mata Ganga Ji. At Guru Ji's behest, Mata Ganga Ji went to to Baba Buddha and ask for a boon. Baba Ji broke an onion and predicted that she will have a son who will break the heads of the enemies like this, and destroy the cruel oppressors. This boon proved to be true as later Guru Hargobind Sahib was born to her who lived up to the above expectations. "Dal Bhanjan Gur Soorma". He passed away in 1631 AD at village Ramdas (District Amritsar). Guru Hargobind performed the last rites. Two shrines stand at Ramdas in memory of Baba Buddha; Gurdwara Tap Asthan, which was the residence for the family and Gurdwara Samadhan where he was cremated. So much respected was Baba Buddha among the Sikh masses that after the execution of Guru Arjan and when Guru Hargobind was in the prison in Gawalior, the affairs of the community were left, among others, in the hands of Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas.
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He passed away in 1631 AD at village Ramdas (District Amritsar). Guru Hargobind
performed the last rites. Two shrines stand at Ramdas in memory of Baba Buddha;
Gurdwara Tap Asthan, which was the residence for the family and Gurdwara Samadhan
where he was cremated. So much respected was Baba Buddha among the Sikh masses
that after the execution of Guru Arjan and when Guru Hargobind was in the prison
in Gawalior, the affairs of the community were left, among others, in the hands
of Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas.The
Sikh masses were extremely restive when, at the orders of Jahangir, Guru Hargobind
was interned in the Gwalior Fort. Baba Budhha Ji would lead a band of Sikhs to
Gwalior and return after going round the Fort with reverence. Mohsin Fani writes
that Sikhs could be seen in batches any time on the Grand Trunk Road, on their
way to Gwalior.Earlier
he had played an important role in the development of Sikh institutions. He had
devoted himself zealously to tasks such as the digging of the baoli at Goindwal
under the instructions of Guru Amardas and the excavation of the sacred tank at
Amritsar under Guru Ramdas and Guru Arjan. When Guru Hargobind raised the Akal
Takhat, the first platform was built by Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas after the
corner stone had been laid by the' Guru and no third person was involved.