Panj Pyare refers to a gathered ad hoc quintet of five baptised Khalsa Sikhs who act as institutionalized leaders for the wider Sikh community.
Panj Pyare leading a procession in Wolverhampton, U.K.
Two of the Panj Pyare at a Nagar Kirtan at Hollanwali village, Ferzoepur district, Punjab, India
Binod Singh, Kahan Singh, Baj Singh, Daya Singh, and Ram Singh depicted as a Panj Piare group from a gilded panel from Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded
Mural of Guru Hargobind, with Bhai Lakhu, Bhai Tiloka, Bhai Jetha, Bhai Bidhi Chand, and Baba Buddha, from an unidentified Samadhi located near Gurdwara Bhai Than Singh at Kot Fateh Khan, Attock, Punjab
Daya Singh was one of the Panj Pyare, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa order in 17th-century India. Among the inaugural panj piare quintet, he is traditionally the highest-regarded
Panj Pyare
…responsible for laying the cornerstone of newly built gurdwaras. In a historical sense, the term is used to refer to a collective name given to five men − Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh – by the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh during the historic and…
Painting of the establishment of the Khalsa order and Panj Piare institution by Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Jito at Anandpur in 1699, circa 19th century. Daya Singh can be seen standing with the four other members of the inaugural Panj Piare quintet.
Dasam Granth manuscript from Aurangabad attributed to Bhai Daya Singh
Illustration of Guru Gobind Singh and the inaugural Panj Piare quintet