Mata Daya Kaur

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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).



BIBLIOGRAPHY

1] Copyright © Alice Basarke "Her Story"