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Amrit Sanskar
 | This article possibly contains original research. (July 2010) |
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Amrit Sanskar (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ, romanized: Amrita sasakāra, pronunciation: [ãːmɾʱɪt̪ sә̃nskäːɚ], lit. "nectar ceremony") is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars.[1] The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699.[2][3]
A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa ('pure'; the Sikh brotherhood) is considered to be Amritdhari (baptised) (lit. 'amrit taker') or Khalsa ('pure'). Those who undergo initiation are expected to dedicate themselves to Waheguru (Almighty God) and work toward the establishment of the Khalsa Raj.[2][4][5]
- ^ Kalsi, Sewa Singh (2007). Sikhism - Simple Guides. Simple Guides (2nd ed.). Kuperard. ISBN 9781857336344.
Amrit literally means water of immortality, which is used in the Sikh initiation ceremony; it is known as khande di pahul (literally, water of the double-edged sword). Let us go back to the fateful day of Baisakhi in 1699. After the selection of panj pyarey, the guru prepared amrit for the initiation ceremony. He discarded the centuries-old tradition of charan pahul. Before the founding of the Khalsa, the initiation used to be conducted with water touched by a guru's toe, thus the term charan pahul (charan means foot, pahul denotes water). The new-style initiation ceremony was fundamentally different from the traditional mode of initiation. Preparation of amrit is one of the defining factors of the new rite. The guru poured water into a steel bowl and stirred it with a double-edged sword while reciting hymns from the Adi Granth, including some of his own compositions. It is said that the guru's wife added some sugar into the bowl during the preparation of amrit.
- ^ a b BBC Religion (2009). "Amrit ceremony | Rites and Rituals | Sikhism". BBC. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Regan, Michael (2019). Understanding Sikhism. p. 9. ISBN 9781532114298.
- ^ Woodhead, Linda (2016). Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations. New York: Routledge. p. 140. ISBN 9780415858809.
- ^ Dharam Parchar Committee (1994). Sikh Reht Maryada: The Code of Sikh Conduct & Conventions. Amritsar, IND: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. p. 34.
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