Baba Banda Singh Bahadur originally from the Jammu region is revered as one of the greatest Sikh warriors as well as one of the most hallowed martyrs of the Khalsa army. His name was Lachman Dev aka Madho Dass. Hunting, horseback riding, and wrestling were his hobbies. He was an active and energetic child.

However young man he shot was shocked to watch the mother and her aborted fawn within in pain and dying. After this gloomy scene, he had a change of heart. This experience moved him so much that he completely changed his outlook on life. He left his home and became a recluse. Soon he met Bairagi Sadhu Janki Das and became disciplined and left his Ashram.  

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A Mahant Jait Ram stopped in Jaipur to honor the Guru as he was going southward. He was instructed by Guru Sahib to recommend a few righteous and nice people. Mahant Jait Ram offered several names and recommended against visiting Madho Das Bairagi since he was extremely egotistical and insensitive to everyone. The Guru, however, made the choice to confront Madho Das before anyone else.

Guru Gobind Singh and a few Sikhs arrived at Madho Das Bairagi's Ashram in September 1708. He wasn't in his dera at that point in time. The Sikhs dispersed out throughout the Dera to set up and prepare food as the Guru took his seat. Madho Das's supporters ran and told him everything that was happening. Madho Das attempted to humiliate, torment, and let down the Guru with the whole might of his occult abilities, but he was unsuccessful. He ran screaming to the Dera in a fit of fury, yelling at the Guru, "Who are you and why have you entered my ashram?" You have all the power, you should know, the Guru said calmly in response.

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He said that Madho Das knew nothing about him. The Guru urged him to remain composed and give it some thought. "Is it true that you are Guru Gobind Singh?" he questioned after a while. "Yes, I am," the Guru retorted. "Now tell me, who are you?" He addressed the Guru with folded hands and said, "I am your Banda (slave)." Banda can also refer to a good person. If you are my Banda, then act like a Banda (a decent person), the Guru commanded. He promised Guru Sahib that he would follow his advice.

Madho Das sat down at Guru Sahib’s feet after uttering these remarks. The Guru spent a few days in his Dera. He received Amrit and was given the name Gur Bakhash Singh, yet he continued to be known as Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. One 38-year-old Rajput, in a place far from his home, who was now a mystic, celibate, vegetarian, possessing occult powers, master of a large ashram but very haughty and proud, was transformed into a devoted and disciplined soldier and made an army general by the Guru, who fell on the cruel rulers of Punjab like a storm and had a magnetic personality.

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