Pañj pyāre

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Pañj pyāre (Pañjābī, ‘five beloved ones’).
1. Five men who volunteered their heads for Gurū Gobind Siṅgh on Baisākhī 1699. All were renamed Siṅgh. They subsequently fought bravely for the Gurū. The pañj pyāre are remembered daily in Ardās, and a portion of kaṛāh praśād is taken out in their memory before general distribution.

2. Five baptized Sikhs who administer khaṇḍe-di-pahul. They are normally men and must be amritdhārī, physically whole, and known to observe the Sikh code of conduct (rahit).

3. The central and final authority for all Sikhs, located at Amritsar.

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