Guru Govind Singh's birthday

Guru Govind SinghThe birthday of the tenth and last Guru is celebrated by Sikhs. On this day, large processions are held and special prayers are said in all Gurudvars (Sikh temples).


Guru Govind Singh (1675 – 1708 CE) created a militarized Sikh community called halsa, which required certain rigid commitments, special rules of dress and behavior. He summarized all the works of the Sikhs in the main book of Guru Granth Sahib. According to Govind, an orthodox Sikh should have the following five distinctions: “kesh” (uncut hair), “kach” (special swimsuits), “kara” (steel bracelet on the wrist), “kirpan” (dagger) and “kangha” (comb), and also wear a turban.