Devotees gather at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib to mark Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary

On the eve of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib witnessed a surge of devotees on Monday, as thousands poured into the historic shrine to honour the ninth Sikh Guru.

The route leading from the gurdwara to the Red Fort, where the three-day Samagam is being held this year, was lined with tents. The air echoed with Gurbani and the hum of collective remembrance.

Inside the premises and at the bustling Matidas Chowk outside, devotees bowed their heads in prayer. Many paused before a display board that detailed the symbolic promises attributed to Guru Tegh Bahadur and the vows said to have been taken by Kashmiri Pandits during their plea for protection 350 years ago.

Harinder Pal Singh, former Chairman of Gurmat College and a former elected member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, explained the significance to The Tribune.

“Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom is one of the rarest in human history,” he said. “He voluntarily chose to confront the Mughal empire, not for his own community, but to protect Kashmiri Pandits who faced forced conversions.”

According to him, around 500 Pandits had travelled from Kashmir to Anandpur Sahib seeking the Guru’s intervention. The Guru advised them to tell Emperor Aurangzeb that if he could convert the Sikh Guru, the rest of the Hindus would accept conversion. “That one message,” Singh said, “changed the course of history.”

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, along with three devoted Sikhs--Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala, was arrested and brought in chains from Agra to Delhi. A day before the Guru’s execution, the three companions were tortured to death in the hopes of breaking his resolve.

Matidas Chowk, just outside Sis Ganj Sahib, marks the spot where the executions took place. Harinder Pal narrated the details with quiet clarity: Bhai Mati Das was sawn into two; Bhai Dayala was boiled alive; and Bhai Sati Das was wrapped in cotton and set ablaze.

“These sacrifices were meant to terrify the Guru,” he said. “But he did not waver.”

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was beheaded the next day at the very site where the gurdwara now stands.

Following the execution, tradition holds that a fierce storm swept Delhi. In the chaos, two Sikhs risked their lives to protect the Guru’s remains.

Bhai Jaita carried the severed head to Anandpur Sahib for cremation by Guru Gobind Singh.

Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara secretly transported the body in a cart to his home and set the house ablaze to perform the last rites. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib now stands at that location.

Sudeep Singh, spokesperson for the DSGMC, said the annual observance has shifted over the years due to congestion in Chandni Chowk. While earlier commemorations took place at the Gandhi Maidan in front of the gurdwara, the 350th anniversary is being held at the Red Fort.

“It is symbolic,” he said. “The order for the Guru’s execution came from the Red Fort. Today, the same fort is hosting kirtan and prayers.”

A Nagar Kirtan will be taken out on Tuesday from Sis Ganj Sahib to Rakab Ganj Sahib.