The Multifarious Faces of Sikhism
throughout Sikh History
Page 1 of 3
Bandai
Khalsa
Time of origin: circa 1712
In the year 1656, in the household of Ramdev
Rajput was born Lachman Dev. Legend has it that
as a teenager, Lachman went out hunting and
killed a pregnant deer. Overcome by sadness
of his action, he ran away from home and joined
a Hindu religious order of ‘Viragi
Sadhus’ (wandering ascetics).
The Sadhus renamed him Madho Das. Madho Das
spent many years wandering with these Sadhus
accumulating a tremendous amount of knowledge
- some accounts even state that he possessed
miraculous powers. Eventually, he established
his ‘Ashram’ (abode)
near the river Godavari in Nanded, Maharastra.
The Ashram was a refuge for all animal life.
The Godavari
Photograph of the Godavari river as it runs
near Nanded, Maharastra
Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh had heard of
the haughty Vairagi Madho Das who reveled in
playing magic tricks on other holy men. In 1708,
during the month of September, the Guru decided
to pay a visit to Madho Das at his Ashram. Upon
arrival at the Ashram, the Guru ordered his
Khalsa warriors to ‘Chatka’
(kill with a single blow) and cook some goats
that were wandering around within the Ashram.
Chatka
Akali Nihang Baba Kharak Singh carries out Chatka
at a festival in Punjab, circa mid 20th century
Madho Das, on hearing that an armed stranger
had not only settled himself at his Ashram,
but had also killed and cooked his beloved goats
was enraged. Arriving at the Ashram, Madho Das
attempted to utilize his miraculous powers to
overturn the bedstead where the Guru was seated.
He had succeeded in scaring away other holy
men in the past, however, this time he failed
to do so. Realizing that he had met his match,
Madho Das humbled himself before the Guru and
declared himself ‘Banda’
(slave) to the Guru. Akali Nihang Guru Gobind
Singh titled him ‘Bahadur’
(brave) and made Banda the commander-in-chief
of the Khalsa armies. He was given the mission
of punishing the Moghal regime that had taken
over Punjab.
Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh
A painting of the tenth Sikh Guru from Sach
Khand Sri Hazoor Sahib at Nanded, Maharastra
It has to be noted that although Madho Das,
who became to be known as Banda Bahadur was
made commander-in-chief of the Khalsa armies,
it was Akali Nihang Baba Binod Singh
who was the first Jathedar of the Akal Takht
and who had overall control of the Sikh nation.