Shri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji (16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661)

Guru Har Rai was the seventh Sikh Guru. He was born on February 26, 1630. Guru Har Rai ji was the son of Mata Nihal Kaur Ji and Baba Gurdita Ji ,the eldest son of Damodari and Guru Har Govind. He received Gurgaddi on 19 March 1644, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Guru Har Govind ji. He was the He was married to Mata Kishan Kaur Ji daughter of Sri Daya Ram Ji of Anoopshahr (Bulandshahr) in Utter Pradesh.

Guru Har Rai Ji was a man of peace, he never disbanded the armed Sikh Warriors, who earlier were maintained by his grandfather, Guru Hargobind. He always boosted the military spirit of the Sikhs, but he never himself indulged in any direct political and armed controversy with the contemporary Mughal Empire.

Guru Har Rai founded three missions and stressed on the importance of langar, insisting no one should ever be turned away hungry who visited them.

Guru Har Rai established an Aurvedic herbal medicine hospital and a research centre at Kiratpur. He was an amazing herbalist and healer. He was famous for his use of natural medicine, and kept a beautiful herbal garden from which he made his remedies.

Guru Har Rai was also quite good at hunting, but never killed any animals. He would capture the animals, then bring them back to the town and place them in a zoo, then give them medicine and heal them. The animals were kept in the Guru’s beautiful gardens so they could also be part of the Sangat. When the time was right, the Guru would release the animals back to the wild.

Before Guru Ji died, he nominated Guru Har Krishan Ji, his son as the next Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Har Rai Ji passed away in October 6, 1661 A.D. at Kiratpur Sahib.