Guru Amar Das laid stress on the fitness of the human body. With this in mind he arranged and flourished the wrestling and very often sponsored periodic meets.
Baisakhi had been celebrated in the Punjab, probably, since the advent of Aryans. Such bouts were held there but unfortunately, during jubilation, people indulged in the undignified joviality too. The Guru had already perceived this when one day his devoted Sikh, Bhai Paro, suggested that once a year they should assign one day for the people to come to have Guru's Darshan and enjoy the festivities too. For the purpose he suggested the day of Baisakhi, which was approaching shortly. The Guru instantly endowed his blessings and the Hukamnamas were issued far and wide inviting people to come and seek both celestial and temporal blessings. First Baisakhi Mela, with the Sikh decorum, was, thus, celebrated at Goindwal Sahib under the auspices of Guru Amar Das with all the arrangements including the Langar, the Free Kitchen under the guidance of (Guru) Ram Das.
The tradition dominated the Sikh polity. In 1699 when the Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Rai was thirty-three years old, he divined inspiration to actuate his designs. Every year at the time of Baisakhi (in the month of April) thousands of devotees used to flock to Anandpur Sahib to pay their obeisance, and seek the Guru's blessings. A few months before the Baisakhi Day, Guru Gobind Rai sent special edicts to the congregationalists, far and wide, that that year the Baisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them not to cut their hair, and come to the place with full beards and unshorn hair under the turbans.
On the Baisakhi day, March 30, 1699, hundreds of thousands of people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur. The Guru addressed the audience `with the most stirring oration on saving religion, and his divine mission'. After the exciting discourse, he flashed his unsheathed sword, and said that every great deed preceded by equally great sacrifice, and he demanded one head for oblation. After `some trepidation one person offered' himself. The Guru took him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with the sword dripping with blood, and asked for another head. One by one four more earnest devotees offered their heads. Every time the Guru took one person inside the tent, he came out with bloodied sword in his hand. Thinking Guru to have gone berserk, the congregationalists started to disperse. But, at the end, the Guru emerged with all the five dressed piously in white. He baptised the five men in a new and unique ceremony called pahul and told the people that they were his own image; Guru would be there wherever Five Baptised Sikhs would together be. He called them Panj Pyare--the Five Beloved Ones. Then the Guru asked those Five Baptised Sikhs to baptise the Guru himself and proclaimed that the Panj Pyare would be the embodiment of the Guru himself and pronounced:
"Where there are Panj Pyare, there am I, When the Five meet, they are the holiest of the holy."
And all those who get baptised by the Five Beloved Ones will be infused with the spirit of Courage, and Sacrifice. With this he created the Order of Khalsa, the Ones Belonging directly to the Almighty and, out of Sikh Religion the Sikh Nation was born. At the same time, to give the Khalsa a unique, indisputable, and distinct identity, he prescribed five symbols. These symbols are popularly known as Five Ks; Kesh--unshorn hair, Kangha--the comb, Karra--the iron bangle, Kirpan--the sword, and Kachehra--the underwear. `These Five Ks would be the emblems of purity and courage,' and identifiable among thousands of people; a Sikh could never hide under cowardice.
The political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was degenerating the people's moral. The discriminatory class distinction, promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs, was equally responsible for the degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living examples of his dream; both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among those Panj Pyares, there was one Khatri--shopkeeper, one Jat--agriculturist, one Chhimba--washer-man, one Kahar--water-carrier, and a Nai--barber. He designated the surname of Singh--lion to every Sikh and himself became Guru Gobind Singh.
With an indiscreet identity Guru Gobind Singh put all the Sikhs on one platform of Courage, Sacrifice, and Equality. Thus the Sikh Religion was placed under the protection of SIKH NATION and endowed the distinction of KHALSA PANTH on Baisakhi day, March 30, 1699.
