Where did Guru Gobind Singh create the Khalsa in 1699?

Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699. The founding took place on Vaisakhi, when Sikh congregations gathered at the Guru’s center in the Punjab hills for a ceremony that reshaped Sikh religious and communal identity.

According to the traditional account, Guru Gobind Singh asked for a volunteer willing to give his head. Five men stepped forward one after another. They became the Panj Pyare, or Five Beloved Ones, and were initiated through the Khande di Pahul ceremony. The Guru then asked the five to initiate him, establishing a principle of shared spiritual commitment.

The Khalsa emphasized disciplined conduct, equality, courage, and readiness to defend justice. Initiated members were associated with the five articles of faith, commonly called the Five Ks, and traditionally adopted the names Singh or Kaur.

A frequent mix-up is Patna, where Guru Gobind Singh was born, and Amritsar, the city associated with the Harmandir Sahib. Neither was the site of the Khalsa’s creation; the decisive 1699 gathering took place at Anandpur Sahib.