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One would expect women
to have played a significant role in
determining the image of the Sikh religion.
This would be particularly true of The
wives of the Gurus. They created the
foundation of the Sikh traditions. And
were, therefore, instrumental in building
a firm structure for the emergence of
a Sikh Nation. While the Gurus primarily
did the teaching, it was the women who
looked after the rather mundane details
of every-day life. They managed the
households and the kitchens. Without
them, it would have been impossible
to demonstrate, in any substantial way,
that the doctrines of equality, hard
work and fair play werc at all attainable.
The primary sources of Sikh history
have ignored this important aspect of
the basic teaching of The ten Gurus.
Yet, however little is available there
is enough to substantiate that the women
of Sikhism played as important a role
in The organisation and establishment
of tradition as any man.
Mata Daya Kaur ji is described as a
lady of gentle disposition, charitablc
and religious. She gave birth to Lahina
on March 31, 1504, at Matte di Saran
near Mukstar in The district of Ferozpur.
Her son later became known as Guru Angad.
Daya Kaur's maiden name was Ramo. She
was married to Ferumal, a well-to-do
trader, shopkeeper and village priest.
The family was very pious and worshipped
a female deity. Some sources say it
was Chandi, but Dr Gopal Singh, in his
History of The Sikh People, says it
was Durga. Which deity, matters little
in the telling of this event. Every
year Ferumal would make a pilgrimage
to the shrine of the said goddess in
the Shivalik hills. He took his son
with him, and there they would tie bells
to their ankles and dance in homage
to the goddess. At that time, their
village was sacked during Babar's invasion.
The family moved to The village of Khadur,
district Amritsar. When Ferumal died,
Lahina kept up the practice of leading
a group of people from his village in
pilgrimage, to pay their homage to their
female deity. The family had a well
respected friend by the name of Mai
Bhirai. She was like a sister to Ferumal
and was also a devout follower of Guru
Nanak. It is said that she arranged
the marriage of Lahina to Bibi Khivi.
Undoubtly like Mata Tripta ji had an
affect on Guru Nanak Dev's mind, in
similar fashion Mata Daya Kaur raised
Bhai Lahina ji(Later Guru Angad Dev).
Copyright © Alice Basarke "Her
Story" |
