Bhai Ganga Ram a cousin of Guru Gobind Singh, was the son of Bhai Sadhu, a Khosia Khatri of Malla, in present-day Faridkot district of the Punjab, and Bibi Viro, daughter of Guru Hargobind and elder sister of Guru Tegh Bahadur. As recorded in Guru Gobind Singh's autobiographical poem Bachitar Natak, Ganga Ram and his four brothers (Gulab Chand, Sango Shah, Mahri Chand and Jit Mall) took a heroic part in the battle of Bhangani, near Paonta, now in Himachal Pradesh, fought on 18 September 1688. Sri Dasam Granth Sahib mentions the names of all these five great Sikh warriors.