ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 10th August. Click Here for more information.
What is the News?
The Prime Minister will participate in the celebrations of the 400th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Red Fort in New Delhi.
Who was Guru Tegh Bahadur?
Born in: Amritsar in 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru.
He was the ninth of ten Gurus who founded the Sikh religion. He was often venerated as the ‘Protector of Humanity’ (Srisht-di-Chadar) by the Sikhs.
He was a learned spiritual scholar and a poet whose 115 hymns are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the main text of Sikhism.
He was also an avid traveller and played a key role in setting up preaching centers. During one such mission, he founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib.
He sacrificed his life to protect religion and human values, ideals and principles in world history. He was executed for supporting the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits on the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
His death anniversary is commemorated as Shaheedi Divas every year on 24 November.
Sikh holy premises Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: Life and legend of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who stood up to the Mughals” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.
