https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Baba_BuddhaBaba Buddha - Revision history2026-07-30T13:33:00ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Baba_Buddha&diff=454444&oldid=prev27.60.130.152 at 10:40, 19 September 20252025-09-19T10:40:57Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Important figure in Sikhism}}<br />
{{Not to be confused with|The Buddha}}<br />
{{Infobox religious biography<br />
| religion = [[Sikhism]]<br />
| name = '''Baba Buddha'''<br />
| honorific_suffix = Ji<br />
| image = Fresco depicting Baba Buddha with an identifying Gurmukhi inscription, Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh, circa 19th century.jpg<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Fresco depicting Baba Buddha with an identifying Gurmukhi inscription, Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh, circa 19th century<br />
| native_name = ਬਾਬਾ ਬੁੱਢਾ<br />
| native_name_lang = pa<br />
| birth_name = Bura Randhawa<br />
| birth_date = 6 October 1506<br />
| birth_place = Kathu Nangal, Amritsar, India<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1631|09|08|1506|10|06|df=yes}}<br />
| death_place = Jhanda Ramdas<br />
| known_for = Early figure of [[Sikhism]]<br />
| successor = <br />
| children = Bhai Bhana (1536-1644)<br />
| parents = Bhai Sukha Randhawa (father)<br>Mai Gauran Sandhu (mother)<br />
| mother = <br />
| father = <br />
| spouse = <br />
}}<br />
{{Sikhism sidebar}}'''Baba Buddha''' ([[Gurmukhi]]: ਬਾਬਾ ਬੁੱਢਾ; ''bābā buḍhā''; lit. meaning "wise old man"; 6 October 1506 – 8 September 1631) was a prime figure in early [[Sikhism]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BUḌḌHĀ BĀBĀ (1506-1631) |url=http://eos.learnpunjabi.org/BUDDHA%20BABA%20(1506-1631).html |access-date=2019-08-29 |website=eos.learnpunjabi.org}}</ref><br />
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== Early life ==<br />
He was born to a [[Randhawa]] [[Jat]]<ref name="McLeod">{{cite book |last1=McLeod |first1=W. H. |last2=Fenech |first2=Louis E. |authorlink1=W. H. McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |year=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |isbn=978-1-4422-3600-4 |page=73 |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 |quote=BUDDHA, BHAI or BABA (trad. 1506–1631). A Jat from Kathu Nangal, who was originally called Bura Randhava.|language=en}}</ref> family in 1506 in the village of Kathu Nangal in [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]]. His father's name was Sugha Randhawa and his mother was named Mai Gauran. His birth name was Bura (Gurmukhi: ਬੂੜਾ; ''būṛā'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baba Budha {{!}} Discover Sikhism |url=http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikhs/baba_budha.html |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=www.discoversikhism.com}}</ref><br />
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As a child, while grazing cattle outside his village, he met [[Guru Nanak]]. He asked Guru Nanak many questions regarding life and death, such that, at his young age, Guru Nanak blessed him with the name Buddha, as he spoke as if he were a wise elder.{{citation need|date=June 2025}}<br />
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== Spiritual career ==<br />
He was one of the earliest Sikhs of Guru Nanak, and performed the [[Guru Gaddi|formal coronation ceremonies]] of the five Sikh gurus who succeeded Guru Nanak; [[Guru Angad]], [[Guru Amar Das]], [[Guru Ram Das]], [[Guru Arjan]], and [[Guru Hargobind]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C&q=Baba+Buddha&pg=PA39|title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries)|last=Singha|first=H. S.|date=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=9788170103011|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UmOTBAAAQBAJ&q=Baba+Buddha&pg=PA98|title=Rajni|last=Khalsa|first=Gurutej Singh|date=2014-08-23|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=9781490743301|language=en}}</ref><br />
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On installation of the [[Adi Granth]], a compilation of Sikh scripture, at [[Golden Temple|Sri Harimandir Sahib]] on August 16, 1604, Bhai Buddha was appointed the first [[Granthi]] by Guru Arjan.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Harjinder |date=12 September 2022 |title=From Pothi to Guru Granth Sahib: The Perfect-Genius of Guru Arjan Sahib |url=https://sikhri.org/articles/from-pothi-to-guru-granth-sahib |website=Sikh Research Institute |quote=Guru Arjan Sahib asked his Sikh, Baba Buddha (1506–1631), to be the first Granthi (the one who knows the Granth) to be the custodian at Sri Harimandar Sahib. Baba Buddha was carrying the Granth on his head; Guru Arjan Sahib was waving the chaur (royal-whisk). The beautiful revered Harigobind was also part of the procession. Atmosphere was divine: sound of many sankh (conch), vibrations of dundabhi (drums), and cheers of jai-jai-kar (hail or praise).}}</ref><br />
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When [[Mata Bhani|Bhani]] (daughter of Guru Amar Das) had a ''[[jagir]]'' land grant (consisting of 500 ''[[Bigha|biggas]]'') of productive agricultural land bestowed upon her by the Mughal emperor [[Akbar]], Baba Buddha was administrator of the land.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Prithi Pal |title=The History of Sikh Gurus |publisher=Lotus Press |year=2006 |isbn=9788183820752 |pages=55–56}}</ref> The land became known as 'Beer Baba Buddha Ji' as a result.<ref name=":1" /> The land had a gurdwara constructed upon it, was used for farming, and educational activities.<ref name=":1" /><br />
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Ganga, wife of Guru Arjan, sought out Baba Buddha for his blessings when Ganga desired to give birth to a son in-order to have an heir to the guruship.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Prithi Pal |title=The History of Sikh Gurus |publisher=Lotus Press |year=2006 |isbn=9788183820752 |pages=67–69}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Harish |title=The Making of Punjab |publisher=Unistar Books |year=2003 |pages=275}}</ref> After a failed first attempt, Baba Buddha eventually granted her wish and blessed her.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":3" /> Guru Hargobind was born to Ganga after this blessing.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":3" /><br />
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== Military career ==<br />
According to Sikh hagiographies and oral histories, Baba Buddha learnt the Sikh martial art system of ''[[Shastar Vidya]]'' from Guru Nanak himself.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kamalroop |url=https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34369/chapter-abstract/291509332?redirectedFrom=fulltext |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |series=Oxford Handbooks Online |pages=459–470 |chapter=38. Sikh Martial Art (Gatkā) |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199699308.013.022 |editor-last2=Fenech |editor-first2=Louis E.}}</ref> Baba Buddha provided the successive gurus of Nanak training in the martial art and was ordained by Guru Hargobind to instruct recruits into the first Sikh army, in Shastar Vidya.<ref name=":7" /><br />
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On May 30, 1606, after the martyrdom of Guru Arjan, Guru Hargobind ordered the construction of the [[Akal Takht]] and entrusted the responsibility of its construction to Baba Buddha and [[Bhai Gurdas]].<ref name=":0" /> While Guru Hargobind was in jail, Baba Budha reformed the [[Nihang]] army, at the time called the [[Akal Sena]], although now it is named the Budha Dal after Jathedar Baba Budha Randhawa.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}<br />
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== Death ==<br />
After a lifetime of following the Sikh Gurus, Baba Buddha died at the age of 124{{cn|date=December 2024}} in 1631 at the village of Jhanda Ramdas, on the banks of the [[Ravi River]]. Guru Hargobind was at his bedside and honoured him by carrying him to his funeral pyre and reciting passages from the Adi Granth.<br />
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== Gallery ==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Baba Buddha, as a young boy, seeks the blessings of Guru Nanak.jpg|Baba Buddha, as a young boy, seeks the blessings of Guru Nanak. Pahari, brush drawing, from the family workshop of Nainsukh of Guler, last quarter of the 18th century.<br />
File:Guru Arjun Dev being pronounced fifth guru.jpg|Baba Buddha crowning the fifth guru<br />
File:Drawing of Guru Arjan meeting Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas.jpg|19th century drawing of [[Guru Arjan]] meeting Baba Buddha and [[Bhai Gurdas]]<br />
</gallery><br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Bhai Gurdas]]<br />
* [[Bhai Mani Singh]]<br />
* [[Baba Deep Singh]]<br />
* [[Guru Gaddi|Gurgaddi]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
* gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi. Patiala, 1970<br />
* Bhalla, Sarup Das, Mahima Prakash. Patiala, 1971<br />
* Padam, Piara Singh, and Gianl Garja Singh, eds., Guru ban Sakhlari Patiala, 1986<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
* {{cite book |last=Randhāwā |first=Gurdīp Siṅgh |author-link= |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Harbans |editor-link=Harbans Singh |title=The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |volume=I |year=2002 |publisher=[[Punjabi University]] |isbn=978-81-7380-100-6 |oclc=808441524 |pages=399–400 |edition=4th |entry=BUḌḌHĀ, BĀBĀ (1506–1631)}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |author-link=Hari Ram Gupta |title=History of the Sikhs. Vol. I: The Sikh Gurus, 1469–1708 |year=1994 |orig-year=1984 |publisher=[[Munshiram Manoharlal]] |isbn=978-81-215-0276-4 |oclc=773483227 |pages=360–364 |edition=2nd rev. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lm0wAQAAIAAJ}}<br />
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{{Sikhism}}<br />
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[[Category:Punjabi Sikhs]]<br />
[[Category:Spiritual teachers]]<br />
[[Category:1631 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Longevity myths]]<br />
[[Category:1506 births]]<br />
[[Category:Sikh warriors]]<br />
[[Category:16th-century Indian people]]<br />
[[Category:17th-century Indian people]]</div>27.60.130.152