Guru Angad

@Religious Leaders, Birthday and Personal Life

Guru Angad Dev was the second of the ten Sikh Gurus

Mar 31, 1504

IndianLeadersSpiritual & Religious LeadersAries Celebrities
Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: March 31, 1504
  • Died on: March 28, 1552
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Famous: Religious Leaders, Second Sikh Guru, Spiritual, Leaders, Spiritual & Religious Leaders
  • Spouses: Khivi
  • Birth Place: Sri Muktsar Sahib
  • Religion: Sikhism

Guru Angad born at

Sri Muktsar Sahib

Unsplash
Birth Place

Guru Angad married Mata Khivi in January 1520. The couple had four children: two sons and two daughters. His wife was a very pious woman who personally worked in the community kitchen and served food to the visitors and followers.

Unsplash
Personal Life

Before dying, Guru Angad Dev appointed his sincere disciple Amar Das as his successor. Guru Angad died on 28 March 1552 at the age of 47.

Unsplash
Personal Life

He was born as Lehna on 31 March 1504, in Matte Di Sarai, Muktsar, Punjab, India, into a wealthy Hindu family. His father Pheru Mal was a prosperous trader and his mother’s name was Mata Ramo. Eventually his family moved to Khadur.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

He became interested in God and spirituality at a young age and grew up to be an ardent devotee of the Hindu goddess Durga. Every year he led groups of pilgrims to visit the temple of Durga at Jwalamukhi for praying and dancing.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

He once heard the recitation of a hymn of Guru Nanak from Bhai Jodha a neighbor who was a follower of the guru and was immediately captivated by it. While on his annual pilgrimage to Jawalamukhi Temple he asked his group if they would mind going to see the guru. The group objected and being their leader, he obliged to their decision.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

However, the hymns of Guru Nanak never left his mind. So overtaken was he by his desire to meet the guru that he mounted a horse and left for the guru’s village one night. Upon meeting Guru Nanak he was overcome by the Sikh leader’s humility and simplicity, and decided to become his disciple immediately.

Unsplash
Childhood & Early Life

Lehna renounced all his former religious practices and became completely devoted to the guru. Guru Nanak told Lehna to return to Khadur and spread the teachings of Sikhism. Lehna followed the guru’s instructions and returned.

Unsplash
Later Years

He spent considerable time preaching the teachings of Sikhism to the people. He wholeheartedly served the people and distributed food to the poor daily. However, he was so consumed by the thoughts of his guru that he longed to go back to him.

Unsplash
Later Years

Lehna came back to the service of Guru Nanak. He served him wholeheartedly and displayed unfailing devotion towards him. Guru Nanak tested his devotion and loyalty many times, and each time Lehna followed the guru’s orders with utmost loyalty.

Unsplash
Later Years

Legends in the Sikh tradition state that when Guru Nanak was looking for his successor, he gave some tests to both of his sons and Lehna. While the sons refused to follow the guru’s orders, Lehna obediently complied with them. Thus Guru Nanak was prompted to choose Lehna as his successor instead of either of his sons.

Unsplash
Later Years

Guru Nanak touched Lehna and renamed him Angad (part of the body) or the second Nanak on 7 September 1539. By this time Lehna had spent six or seven years in the service of Guru Nanak at Kartarpur.

Unsplash
Later Years

Guru Angad Dev is best remembered for popularizing the use of Gurmukhi script which became the medium of writing the Punjabi language in which the hymns of the gurus are expressed. Initially the Punjabi language was written in the Landa or Mahajani script but these scripts were not suitable for the gurus’ hymns as there was a risk of incorrectly deciphering the writing. The development of the Gurmukhi script helped to express the true meaning of the gurus’ teachings without any misunderstanding.

Unsplash
Major Works