PUNJ PIARAY
„Punj Piaray‟ literally: the Five Beloved Ones.
It is proper to call them “Five Chosen Ones”. This term is used for those Five Sikhs who had offered their lives to Guru Gobind Singh when he demanded five persons to come forward to offer their heads (offer their lives for sacrifice) at Anandpur Sahib, on 29 March 1698 (some sources mention the date as 1699).
These five were (in sequence of offering head): Daya Singh, Mohkam Singh, Sahib Singh, Dharam Singh, Himmat Singh. The Guru initiated them with his own hands. After their initiation, they (the Punj Piaray) initiated the rest of the Sikhs.
Those, who perform the Sikh initiation ceremony, Khanday-Di-Pahul, are also called Punj Piaray. Their designation is only during the initiation rites.
Punj Piaray is not a standing institution. Any practicing, initiated, both male and female, can become one of the Punj Piaray for the purpose of initiation rites.
Nowadays, five priests, who wrongly claim themselves Punj „Singh Sahiban‟ (in fact „five priests‟), and, who even issue „fatwas‟ (decrees), in the name of deciding Sikh national issues also call themselves Punj Piaray. But, their act is against Guru‟s teachings.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)