Bhai Himmat Singh (1661–1705), born Himmat Rai, was one of the inaugural group of Panj Pyare, or the first group of the Five Beloved in Sikhism.

Biography

Early life

He was born in 1661 in Jagannath Puri in modern-day Odisha, India into a low-caste of water-suppliers. His family belonged to the Jhivar (also Jheer or Jheeaur) caste. His father was named Gulzari whilst his mother was named Dhanno.

Later life

He reached Anandpur at the age of 17 to serve the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. He was the third to answer the call by the Guru for a head during the ceremony to formalize the Khalsa order in 1699 atop a hill in Anandpur (where Takht Kesgarh Sahib now stands). After his baptism into the Khalsa order, he adopted the name Himmat Singh. He died in the Battle of Chamkaur on 7 December 1704 or 1705. Himmat Singh was viewed as being an avatar of an obscure Bhagat named Phandak (hunter).