In Sikhi, basically four Sanskaars are done:

1) Naam Sanskaar / Janam Sanskaar

2) Amrit Sanskaar

3) Anand Sanskaar

4) Antim Sanskaar

Amrit Sanskaar must precede Anand Sanskaar and Antim Sanskaar; and the two latter ones are not valid without Amrit Sanskaar. Therefore, it is a must that couples become Amritdhaari before getting married.

There was a time, when Anand Karaj was not performed for non-amritdharis. It won't be out of place to narrate an incident from my family. My maternal great-grandfather Sardar Waryaam Singh was the only son of his father Sardar Vadhawa Singh. Many of his older siblings died and when he was born, a faqir told his father to pierce his ears with mundra (tribute to some devi), name him after Devi Mata (Mayeeya Singh) and finally to not give him anything to eat from home for 5 years. The Faqir said that if they followed these rules, the child would life beyond 5 years and would have a long life. He also mentioned that if these rules are violated, the child would die.

The family did as said by the Faqir and Sardar Mayeeya Singh survived till his teenage years. His marriage was set in a family that was very staunch Akali family and was from the same village as the legendary Sardar Teja Singh Samundri. When he arrived for marriage, the girl's family resolved that Anand Karaj would take place only if the groom took amrit. The boy's family said that they were reluctant to give this boy amrit because as a condition of taking amrit, he would have to remove his earrings (Mundra), which would bring Devi's curse on the boy and he would likely die. Hearing this, I think it was Sardar Teja Singh Samundri who himself removed the earrings and placed them in front of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee and did Bachan from his Amrit-Rasna that nothing would happen to this boy and that he would live till the age of 100 years.

Amrit Samagam was conducted and Sardar Mayeeya Singh took amrit and became Sardar Waryam Singh. As per Mahapurakh's Bachan, nothing happened to him and he lived to the age of 100. I was fortunate enough to have seen him with my own eyes when I was a teenager.

The moral of the story is that Anand Kaaraj should be done for Amritdhari couples only. The meaning of Anand Kaaraj performed in the hazoori of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee is that the couple affirms in the hazoori of Siri Guru jee that would spend their lives together for rest of the life. A person who has cut his or her hair, is not a loving Sikh of Guru Sahib and as thus it makes no sense for him or her to affirm anything in the hazoori of Guru Sahib.

In olden times couples were asked to take amrit before Anand Kaaraj. Amrit Sanskar must be done before Anand Sanskar. Later on the custodians of our faith started being lenient and took promise from the couple to take amrit at some point in life. Later on they become more relaxed on this Maryada and just merely started mentioning that Amrit is important but took no promise. Now a days, amrit is not even mentioned at Anand Kaarajs. And I don't blame the Granthis for not mentioning amrit to new couples because couples now a days look Bhootnay (Bhoot and ChuRail) as written by Baba Farid jee that ones who don't japp Naam have frightening faces (like bhoots and ChuRails).

Daas,
Kulbir Singh