Khalsa Women – Panj Piaray

I just saw some great pictures from the Vaisakhi celebration in Los Angeles, California and it was really great to see the below photo showing Khalsa women as Panj Piaray as well as Granthi. You don’t see there very much. Too often I think many Sikhs get stuck on the gender issue with the thought that only men can be part of the Panj. Khalsa has no gender and the Panj is not exclusive to men. I grew up learning about Sikhi as Genderless. I don’t recall Guru Gobind Singh saying, ‘If there are five MEN together then I will be present…’. I have always understood it as if there are ‘five Sikhs’… (whatever the gender) then Guru Gobind Singh is present.

I think it is great seeing images such as these which empower Khalsa women as well as give way to change which is happening slowly.

 

 

You can see some other pictures that I took at our local Espanola, Vaisakhi celebtration.

8 Responses to “Khalsa Women – Panj Piaray”

1. Tejpreet as Jvala Kaur says:

   April 13, 2010 at 4:24 pm

   Thank you for sharing your views and examples in our Sikh Community of women being Panj Piaray. Seeing only men representing the Panj Piaray from Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtans to giving Amrit has always left me questioning our institutions and practices. It is very reassuring to see that some communities have challenged this practice.

2. Ravneet Singh Deol says:

   April 15, 2010 at 2:52 am

   Yeah Mate its good to challenge the history…. Nagar Kirtans, the Panj Piyaras represent the historical Pyaras and not the new ones. We, I guess are not the Guru, The Guru gave the Khalsa the the honour of being a Guru, but it is the moral responsibility of the Khalsa or the so called "Today's Modern Sikhs" who think of themselves to be no less than the God almighty himself, take things into their own hands!!!

   When the Vissakhi happened, Kalgidhar Patshah never said I want men to come and offer their heads or I want women only!!!! He said he wanted a head… No woman stood forward, all were men. What we represent today in the Nagar Kirtans is the representation of the Panj Piyaras, who made a stand at the Guru's Call. If there were Women who had made ground at that time, it would have never been a question of having women today into the Beloved Five!!!… If it was all women at that time, today no man should have represented the Panj Payaras…. Its not gender Bias-ness, it is history as it happened.

   No Doubt Sikh religion is caste less and it is not gender Biased, women always have equal rites to men and they always would. However we are Sikhs, and we are modern Sikhs… and we can take things into our own hands. This is not the first time, like earlier we made our Guru say that you may eat "JHATKA" and not the hallal (even if The Guru never advocated that) but since we like that, we can change the history and shape things according to our own comfort and be the the the most modern religion i the world!!!!

3. Ravinder Singh Khalsa says:

   April 18, 2010 at 9:55 am

   Beautiful…

4. LSB says:

   April 24, 2010 at 12:06 pm

   That Lioness at the bottom of the pics is the most devine image I have ever seen. Fateh

5. KSB 1992 says:

   May 13, 2010 at 8:42 pm

   I dont see nothing wrong with this. but i saw a video of sant jarnail singh bhindranwale talking about this issue. he said that women can take part in anything such as granthi ragi etc. but the only reason men are panj pyare is because they day of the creation of khalsa- when guru ji asked for heads only 5 men got up. he said that if a women got up that day and gave her head we would have a women in the panj pyare and the only reason today we see different gurdwareh with 5 male panj pyare is because they are supose to represent the 5 original.
   Please dont take my comments the wrong way im not against it. but i thought it would be something to think about.
   Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh

6. Singh says:

   May 14, 2010 at 7:11 pm

   Great are our mothers and sisters."Why call her bad, she who gives birth to kings?". (Asa Di Vaar)

   Those people that argue women were never historically given status:
   Here's an extract from SikhiWiki regarding Mata Sunder Kaur http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Mata_Sunder_Ka…
   "After the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh ji(should say "after Guru Sahib left for Sachkhand") at Nanded in October 1708, the Sikhs looked up to her for guidance. She appointed Bhai Mani Singh ji to manage the sacred shrines at Amritsar and also commissioned him to collect the writings of Guru Gobind Singh ji. She also issued under her own seal and authority hukamnamas to sangats. The hukamnamas since discovered and published bear dates between 12 October 1717 and 10 August 1730."

   There is no historical evidence of Mata Sunder Kaur taking part in the panj pyare either, despite her power and status at that time.

   Gurbani says: saadhh kee mehimaa baedh n jaanehi ||
   "The glory of the Holy people is not known to the Vedas."
   (from Sikhi To the Max)

   Now Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa is a highly respected and is a Sant and a Brahmgyani . He is highly respected by the Sikh Panth. Even Harbhajan Singh Ji Yogi respected him highly and looked up to him for guidance.
   Now for those people who slander Sant Jarnail Singh Ji, they should read Sukhmani Sahib.

   sa(n)th kaa ni(n)dhak mahaa athathaaee ||
   The slanderer of the Saint is the worst evil-doer.

   Sant Jarnail Singh Ji explains why women cannot take sewa in Panj Pyare. It is not a matter of discrimination, there is a reason. Sant Ji explains everything here.
   
   
   He also says that these types of questions come from "nastik" (atheist) people.

   This is something "modern Sikhs" can think about. Akhar Vadha Bhul Chuk Maaf Karni Ji
   WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

7. Gurupreet Singh Sathi says:

   May 15, 2010 at 10:09 pm

   sat sri akal to all readers

   i am love to all these pictures and my chest go broad and i think how good our religion are that each gender have full authrity to do Granthi,Panj Payara. No other community can do so not in hindu or not in Muslim either not in Christanity. i feel so proud to be a sikh. may waheguru bless his good blessing on us

   waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki FATEH

8. Singh says:

   September 6, 2010 at 9:30 am

   satnammmm is there any video of yogi jee saying abt women doing panj pyare sewa