Visakhi 2020 Reading Comprehension Fun Activities by Pushpinder Kaur Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 0 Read this packet. Do the activities Do more art activities just like the ones in this book. Share your talents with others. Send me your creations. I would love to see what you do with the idea that I send you. Visakhi is 2020 is different. Corona virus has put everyone is lockdown in our own homes. There will be no programs for real Sangat in Gurdwaras. We will have to listen to them online. There will be no Nagar Kirtans/parades for Khalsa Day this Visakhi. There will be no Amrit Sanchaar this Visakhi. But that does not mean that we cannot learn and we cannot have fun. This packet will help you learn about Visakhi and have some fun while doing it. For additional ideas please visit my YouTube channel: Pushpinder Kaur. It is for kids so there are no ads. It should be a safe site to be on- that’s what YouTube claims. Let me know if you have any question or if you need answers to the activities in this packet. You can email me at [email protected] Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 0 Visakhi Learning Project and Art Ideas for 9 year old children and older 1. Read and learn about Visakhi. Do the complete packet. Choose one topics to write about. Write an essay or make a poster. Choose from the following topics . What is the history of Visakhi? . Why do we celebrate Visakhi? . What is the message of Visakhi? . What is the best way to celebrate Visakhi? . The Panj Kakaars . Life and teachings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji . Important teachings of the Sikh Gurus . How to live a good life according to the Three Golden Rules Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 1 History of Visakhi What is Visakhi? Visakh is the second month on Indian calendar. Visakh is the month of harvesting wheat crops. It is the month of happiness for the farmers. However, Visakhi is a very special day for the Sikhs. This is the day when Guru Gobind Singh Ji created Khalsa in 1699. Visakhi is celebrated on the first day of the month Visakh on April 13th. Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 2 How did it start? You know there are many countries in this world. Most of the countries have their own government or kings and queens. Most of the countries live in peace on their own lands. But long time ago, it wasn’t so. There were many rulers who wanted to own more land. They wanted to rule over other countries. They wanted to change people’s religions. That was the situation in India too. Mughal rulers from Persia, Afghanistan and other areas in the middle-east ruled India. They came to India to become rich, but they also wanted to make more people believe in their own religion- the Islam. Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 3 In the 17th Century, Augangzeb was one such ruler. He wanted to convert all people of India to become Muslims. But Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs believed that all people should have freedom to pray anyway they like. They should have freedom of religion. Aurangzeb did not like it. He thought that Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was coming in his way of making everybody a Muslim. And he did not want that. On November 24, 1675, Aurungzeb had Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the father of Gobind Rai Ji, martyred. Guru Ji was beheaded in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. The emperor also ordered that if anybody takes the body of the Guru, he too shall be executed. Hundreds of Sikhs were there. But all were scared. No one dared to claim the body or the head of Guru Ji. Suddenly, there was a dark storm. Dark clouds covered the sky. Terrible winds blew and it rained really hard. Everyone started running away for safety. There was no one left. Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 4 Except, one Sikh Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara was watching all this with a hurting heart. He took the opportunity and picked up the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur for cremation. He took the body to his own house. He burned his own home to cremate the body so that no one would know about it. There is Gurdwara Rakab Ganj now. Another Sikh, Bhai Jetta Ji, picked up Guru Ji’s head. He hid it under his shawl and took it to Gobind Rai Ji in Anandpur Sahib. Gobind Rai Ji was only 9 years old at the time. Bhai Jetta Ji told him what had happened in Delhi. When Gobind Rai Ji heard that Sikhs were scared of the emperor, he was saddened. He promised that he will fill the Sikhs with courage and they will stand tall. After the death of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, Gobind Rai Ji became the next Guru of the Sikhs. Many years passed. Guru Gobind Singh Ji grew up. He learned to read in many languages and he learned to be a great warrior. Then, he decided, it was time to transform the Sikhs into a great martial race, the saint soldiers. He called thousands of Sikhs to Anandpur Sahib. That special day was March 30, 1699. Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 5 What happened at Keshgarh Sahib? The city of Anandpur Sahib was founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Guru Gobind Singh Ji had spent most of his life here. Keshgarh Sahib is a historical place in the center of Anandpur Sahib. On March 30, 1699, a huge tent was installed. Thousands of people came for Guru’s blessing. Guru Gobind Rai Ji was creating history today. He came out of the tent carrying a naked sword. He was very serious. His booming voice asked someone to give his head to him. People sitting in the audience were stunned. They had never seen Guru Ji speak like that. They wondered why Guru Ji was behaving like that. Guru Ji repeated his demand of a head again. Still no one dared step forward. On Guru Ji’s third call, a young man stood up, folded his hands, bowed his head and said that his head was Guru’s to take. Guru Ji took him inside a smaller tent. After a few minutes, Guru Ji came out alone, his sword dripping with blood. People were frightened. They imagined that Guru Ji had killed Dharam Das. Some people were so scared they ran away. Guru Ji asked for another head. One more man got up and offered his head to Guru Ji. Guru Ji took him to the tent too. After a few minutes he returned Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 6 again. He asked for yet another person to sacrifice himself. Guru Ji kept on doing until he had called for five heads. What Guru Ji was doing was in fact asking his Sikhs to come to him with an open mind, with a clean mind and in complete faith so that they can be transformed into saint soldiers. This is the same concept when Guru Nanak Dev Ji had said: jy qau pRym imln kw cwau ] isr Dir qlI glI myrI Awau] It means that if you love your Guru and desire to see him, then surrender your own wisdom, clear your mind before you come to the Guru so that you may learn what Guru Ji wants to teach you. Guru Ji stayed inside the tent with the five men for a long time. People outside were impatient and eager to know what was going on. They wanted to know what Guru Ji will do next. They were feeling pity for the five men that they thought Guru Ji had killed. Finally, Guru Ji came out and what people saw was astonishing. All five of them were dressed up just like Guru Ji. They all had cholas and keskies. The people gasped at this sight. Many wished they had given their heads to the Guru. Guru Ji called these five men his Panj Piaray or ‘Five Beloved Ones'. These are the same Panj Piaray, we remember in our Ardas every day. Their names were: Bhai Daya Singh Ji, Bhai Dharam Singh Ji, Bhai Himmat Singh Ji, Bhai Mohkam Singh Ji and Visakhi Acitivites 2020 © by Pushpinder Kaur 2020 (pictures may have copyrights by the artists) 7 Bhai Sahib Singh Ji. Guru Ji prepared Amrit- the sacred water of immortality himself. It was first given to the Panj Piaray. Then Guru Ji did something that had never been done before anywhere in the world. He bent on his knees in front of the Panj Piaray. He begged them to give him the Amrit too, so that he may be blessed like them. This was an amazing act of humility. No guru had ever begged from his followers. vwhu vwhu goibMd isMG Awpy guru cylw] Guru Gobind Rai Ji changed his name to Guru Gobind Singh Ji after taking Amrit. When people saw this ceremony, they felt very happy. They regretted being left out. They all wanted Guru Ji to bless them with Amrit.