Bibi Bhani was the daughter of Guru Amar Das, consort of Guru Ram Das and mother of
Guru Arjan Dev, was born to Mata Mansa Devi on 21 Magh 1591 Bk/19 January 1535
at Basarke Gillan, a village near Amritsar. She was married on 18 February 1554 to
Bhai Jetha (later Guru Ram Das), a Sodhi Khatri belonging to Lahore, then in
Goindval rendering voluntary service in the construction of the Baoli Sahib. After
marriage, the couple remained in Goindval serving the Guru. From Goindval Bhai
Jetha was deputed by the Guru to go and establish a habitation (present-day Amritsar)
on a piece of land gifted, according to one version, by Emperor Akbar to Bibi Bhani
at the time of his visit to Guru Amar Das.

Three sons, Prith Chand (1558), Mahadev (1560) and (Guru) Arjan Dev (1563) were
born to her. A popular anecdote mentioned in old chronicles describes how devotedly
Bibi Bhani served her father. One morning, it is said, as Guru Amar Das was absorbed
in meditation, Bibi Bhani noticed that one of the legs of the low wooden seat on
which the Guru sat was about to give way. She at once put forward her hand to
support the stool. As the Guru ended his devotions, he discovered how her hand was
bleeding from the injury it had sustained. He blessed her saying that her progeny
would inherit the guruship. Bibi Bhani died at Goindval on 9 April 1598.

Bibi Bhani was mother of Guru Arjan Dev, the Fifth Guru. Undoubtly Guru Arjan
Dev was brought up as model GurSikh. Guru Arjan Dev was the first Sikh Martyr.
Guru Arjan Dev compiled Adi Granth by collecting all the writings of gurus before
him and installed it at Golden Temple, which is now The Guru Granth Sahib jee. Guru Arjan
Dev completed the construction of Golden Temple.

Submitted by: R. Kaur
Taken from The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Edited by Harbans Singh