Baba Buddha Ji was born on 6 October 1506 at the village of Katthu Nangal, 18 km northeast of Amritsar. After some time the family settled down in Dhalla village not far away from river Ravi opposite Kartarpur. Bura, as he was originally named, was the only son of Bhai Suggha, a Hindu Jatt of Randhava clan, and Mai Gauran, who was born into a Sandhu family.ਬਾਬਾ ਬੱੁਢਾ ਜੀ is recognized as one of the great Sikhs of the Guru period. He had the privilege of being blessed by the first six Gurus. He led an ideal Sikh life for more than a hundred years. He was one of closest companions of the guru Nanak and is one of the most sacred saints in Sikhism.

Background One day, when he was young, he was grazing cattle outside the village when Guru Nanak happened to pass by. Bura went up to him and, making obeisance with a bowl of milk as his offering, prayed to him saying:

"O sustainer of the poor! I am fortunate to have had a sight of you today. Absolve me now from the circuit of birth and death.“

The Guru said, “You are not a child; you possess the wisdom of an old man." From that day, Bura, came to be known as Bhai Buddha.Later, when advanced in years, he was known as Baba Buddha.

He holds one of the most important and pivotal positions in Sikh history. The first head Granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Baba Budha applied Tilak/Tikka to five Sikh Gurus, from Guru Angad Dev to Guru Hargobind .

Devoted Service to 6 Gurus

Guru Nanak & Guru Angad Dev

Bhai Buddha became a devoted disciple of Guru Nanak. His marriage at the age of seventeen at Achal, near Batala, did not distract him from his chosen path and he spent more time at Kartarpur where Guru Nanak had taken up his abode than at Katthu Nangal. Such was the eminence he had attained in Sikh piety that, at the time of installation of Bhai Lahina as Guru Angad, (Nanak II), Guru Nanak asked Bhai Buddha to apply the ceremonial tilak on Bhai Lahina’s forehead.

Bhai Buddha lived to a ripe old age and had the unique honour of anointing all of the four following Gurus. Guru Angad Dev ji invented the Gurmukhi script, the script used in the Guru Granth Sahib. In order to popularize the new script, the Guru started teaching it to the children of the Sikhs. Bhai Budha also learned Gurmukhi and then took up the Guru’s duty to teach it.Throughout his live Bhai Buddha continued to serve the Gurus with complete dedication, remaining an example of holy living for the growing body of disciples.

Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das

He devoted himself to such tasks as; construction of the Baoli at Goindval under the instruction of Guru Amar Das and the excavation of the Amrit Sarovar (Amritsar) the city that lent its name to Amritsar, under Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan.The ben tree under which he would sit, supervising the excavation of the Amritsar pool still stands in the precincts of the Golden Temple. He subsequently retired to a bar, where he tended the livestock of the Guru Ka Langar. What is left of that forest is known as ‘Ber Baba Buddha Sahib’.

Guru Amar Das shifted his headquarters from Khadur to Goindwal to avoid any conflict over the issue of succession with Guru Angad’s sons. Following the example of Guru Angad, he left Goindwal and hid himself up in a hut in the jungle near Basarke village, with instructions that he should not be disturbed. Bhai Budha dug a hole in the wall, entered the room and persuaded the Guru to bless the Sikhs, who were regularly visiting the Goindwal Sahib. He took an active part during the digging of the baoli (well) at Goindval under the directions of Guru Amar Das.

Guru Arjan Dev & Guru Hargobind

Guru Arjan Dev ji placed his young son, Hargobind, under Bhai Buddha’s instruction and training. When the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) was installed in the Harmandar on 16 August 1604, Bhai Buddha was appointed as the granthi by Guru Arjan. He thus became the first high priest of the sacred shrine, now popularly known as the Golden Temple.

Following the martyrdom of Guru Arjan on 30 May 1606, Guru Hargobind raised, in front of, the Harimandar a platform called the Akal Takhat, the Timeless Throne or the Throne of the Timeless, the construction of which was entrusted to only Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas, no one else was allowed to take part in building the platform.

After the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan, the investiture ceremony of Guru Hargobind was held on the new platform that Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas had built. Even then, the new platform facing the entrance of the causeway to the Harmandar Sahib was referred to as the Akal Takht Sahib.

Bhai Buddha, as he had done so many times before, was called on agaito perform the initiation as he had done before, but on that day (24 June 1606) Guru Hargobind ji took Sikhi in a new direction for he asked Baba Buddha for a sword, rather than the traditonal seli that had once been worn by Guru Nanak.

Guru Hargobind then put on not one but two swords; one on his left side and the other on his right. He declared that the two swords signified “Miri” and “Piri”: “Temporal Power” and “Spiritual Power”, one which would smite the oppressor and the other which would protect the innocent.

Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji had no offspring from his first marriage. His first wife Mata Ram Devi died without giving birth to a child. Then he was married to Mata Ganga Ji. At Guru Ji's behest, Mata Ganga Ji went to Baba Buddha and ask for a boon. Baba Ji broke an onion and predicted that she will have a son who will break the heads of the enemies like this, and destroy the cruel oppressors. This boon proved to be true as later Guru Hargobind Sahib was born to her who lived up to the above expectations. "Dal Bhanjan Gur Soorma".

Baba Buddha crushing onion and gives blessing to Mata Ganga that she would be blessed with a brave son

Guru Hargobind was interned in the Gwalior Fort on the orders of Jahangir, The Sikh masses were extremely restive. Baba Buddha Ji lead a band of Sikhs to Gwalior and returned after going round the Fort with reverence. Mohsin Fani writes that Sikhs could be seen in batches any time on the Grand Trunk Road, on their way to Gwalior.

Baba Buddha outside Gwalior fort

Instructing Sikhs

BABA BUDDHA JI : AN EPITOME OF SIKHI

Baba Budha ji at Harminder SahibBaba Budha and Sikhs in Batala with Aad Granth Sahib and Emperor Akbar

Prithia lodged a complaint with Emperor Akbar while his visit to Punjab that the Adi Granth contained objectionable material against Hindus and Islam. The Guru sent the holy book under care of Bhai Gurdas and Baba Budha to the Emperor at Batala. As no objectionable matter was found therein, the Emperor sent them back with precious presents.

Last Days

Baba Buddha Ji passed his last days in meditation at Jhanda Ramdas, or simply called Ramdas, a village founded by his son, Bhai Bhana, where the family had since shifted from its native Katthu Nangal. As the end came, on 16 November 1631, Guru Hargobind was at his bedside. The Guru gave his shou the bier and performed the last rites. Bhai Gurdas, started a reading of the Adi Granth in memory of the deceased. The obsequies concluded with Bhai Gurdas completing the recital and Guru Hargobind presenting a turban to Bhai Buddha's son, Bhana. Two shrines stand in Ramdas commemorating Baba Buddha, Gurdwara Tap Asthan Baba Buddha Ji, where the family lived on the southern edge of the village, and Gurdwara Samadhan, where he was cremated.

Guru Hargobind met Baba Budha at Ramdas, Amritsar, Punjab