Baba Buddha (1506 – 1631) is a revered figure in Sikhism. He was a disciple of Guru Nanak. He has the unique distinction of anointing five successive Sikh gurus, starting from
Guru Angad Dev, in the ceremony installing them as the heads of the Sikh religion. He is known for his utter devotion towards the gurus.
Baba Buddha’s original name was Bura. He had met Guru Nanak at a very young age. His conversation with the guru revealed his wisdom and maturity, which was far ahead of his young age. He was therefore renamed by the guru as Bhai Buddha, where ‘buddha’ means ‘knowledgeable one’ and ‘bhai’ means ‘brother.’ The guru accepted him as his disciple.
Baba Buddha served the guru with utmost devotion. His long life enabled him to continue his service with 5 successive gurus. During his life time he contributed greatly to the cause of Sikhism. He took part in the excavation of the holy tank in the premises of the Golden temple of Amritsar. The tree, under which he sat for supervising the excavation work, is still intact. He also supervised the construction work of the Akal Takht.
The last rites of Baba Buddha were performed by Guru Hargobind. During the funeral ceremony, the Antim Ardas was read by Bhai Gurdas.
