Himmat Singh (Sikhism)

Sikh martyr (1661–1705) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhai Himmat Singh (1661–1705), born as Himmat Rai, was one of the inaugural group of Panj Pyare, or the first group of the Five Beloved in Sikhism.

BornHimmat Rai
1661

Jagannath Puri, Odisha, India

Died7 December 1704 or 1705 (aged 43 or 44)

Chamkaur, Punjab, India

CauseofdeathKilled in action

Parents

Gulzari (father)
Dhanno (mother)

Quick facts Bhai / PyareJi, Panj Pyare ...

Bhai / Pyare Himmat Singh Ji
ਹਿੰਮਤ ਸਿੰਘ
Himmat Singh, depicted in an Sikh fresco, inside a Sikh samadhi located in Kot Fateh Khan, Attock, Punjab, Pakistan

Panj Pyare
In office 1699 – 1704 or 1705

Personal life
Born	Himmat Rai 1661 Jagannath Puri, Odisha, India
Died	7 December 1704 or 1705 (aged 43 or 44) Chamkaur, Punjab, India
Cause of death	Killed in action
Parents	Gulzari (father) Dhanno (mother)
Known for	Member of the original, inaugural Panj Pyare
Occupation	Water Carrier
Religious life
Religion	Sikhism
Institute	Khalsa

Biography

Early life

Bhai Himmat Singh was born in 1661 in Jagannath Puri in modern-day Odisha, India into the caste of water-suppliers.^[1]^[2]^[3] His family belonged to the Jhivar (also Jheer or Jheeaur) caste.^[4]^[5]^[6] His father was named Gulzari whilst his mother was named Dhanno.^[7]^[8]

Later life

Bhai Himmat Singh reached Anandpur at the age of 17 to serve the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.^[9] He was the third to answer the call by the Guru during the ceremony to formalize the Khalsa order in 1699 atop a hill in Anandpur, (where Takht Kesgarh Sahib now stands).^[9]

He received the vows of the Khalsa at Guru Gobind Singh's hands and was renamed Himmat Singh. At Anandpur, he took part in battles with the surrounding hill chiefs and imperial commanders.^[9] He died in the Battle of Chamkaur on 7 December 1704 or 1705.^[3]^[9] Himmat Singh was viewed as being an avatar of an obscure Bhagat named Phandak (hunter).^[4]^[10]

Legacy

Bhai Himmat Singh Memorial Children Park was constructed by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Religious & Charitable Trust in the memory of him. It is located in front of Gurdwara Aarti Sahib, Puri, Odisha.^[11]

References

[1]
Singh, Mohinder (2000). Punjab 1999. Anamika Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 9788186565766.
[2]
Singh, Patwant (1989). The Golden Temple, South Asia Books. ISBN 962-7375-01-2.
[3]
Pruthi, Raj (2004). "Sikh Saints". Sikhism and Indian Civilization. Culture and civilization series. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House. p. 187. ISBN 81-7141-879-1. OCLC 434576317. Bhai Himmat Singh (1661 to 1704)
The fifth Beloved One, Bhai Himmat Singh was born to a water carrier in 1661. He died fighting in the battle of Chamkaur in 1704.
[4]
Fenech, Louis E. (2021). The Cherished Five in Sikh History. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 1, 46, 48, 61–63, 125. ISBN 978-0-19-753287-4. OCLC 1157751641.
[5]
Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur (2005). Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs. Ashgate. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7546-5202-1. Bhai Himmat Singh, a jhir (water carrier) from Jaggannath, Puri, Orrisa
[6]
Pillai, V. Kannu (2007). Caste: Observation of I.C.S. Officers and Others Since 1881. Gautam Book Center. p. 126. ISBN 978-81-905583-6-5. The reference is specifically included to address the confusion as Bhai Himmat Singh is sometimes claimed to belong to the, Kumhar, potter community. The word Kahar is another for Jhinwar community. The etymology of word Kahar is 'Ka or Kam' Meaning Water and 'Har' means Carrier. Hence, the Kamhar less common name for Kahar. But still the Kamhar is very different from the word Kumhar or Kumbhar.
[7]
Singha, H. S. (2000). The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries). New Delhi: Hemkunt Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 81-7010-301-0. OCLC 243621542. HIMMAT SINGH, BHAI : Bhai Himmat Singh whose original name was Himmat Rai was one of the first Panj Piare who had offered their heads to Guru Gobind Singh on the Baisakhi day of 1699 AD at Anandpur and were thus the first to be initiated into the Khalsa brotherhood. Very little is known about his biographical details. According to one version, he was the son of gulzar. He was born in 1661 AD. After his initiation into the Khaisa he remained in the devoted service of Guru Gobind Singh and died fighting in the battle at Chamkaur in December 1705 AD.
[8]
The Sikh Courier International. Vol. 38–42. Sikh Cultural Society of Great Britain. 1998. p. 18.
[9]
Singh, Harbans (1995). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism - Volume II E-L. Punjabi University, Patiala. p. 271. HIMMAT SINGH, BHAI (1661-1705), one of the Panj Piare, or the Five Beloved, celebrated in Sikh history, was born in 1661 at Jagannath in a low-caste family of water-suppliers. He came to Anandpur at the young age of 17, and attached himself to the service of Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Himmat, as he was called before his initiation, was one of the five Sikhs who one by one offered to lay down their heads in response to the Guru's successive calls made at an assembly of the Sikhs especially summoned on the occasion of Baisakhi of 1756 Bk corresponding to 30 March 1699. He along with the other four received the vows of the Khalsa at Guru Gobind Singh's hands and was renamed Himmat Singh. Himmat Singh proved a brave warrior and while at Anandpur, he took part in battles with the surrounding hill chiefs and imperial commanders. He died in the battle of Chamkaur on 7 December 1705.
[10]
Siṅgha, Rāejasabīra (2002). Pañja piāre (in Punjabi). Bhai Chatar Singh Jiwan Singh. pp. 61, 63. ISBN 978-81-7601-478-6.
[11]
"Gurdwara Aarti Sahib". www.aartisahib.com. Retrieved 20 April 2025.

Himmat Singh (Sikhism)

Biography

Early life

Later life

Legacy

References

Bibliography

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