Anandpur Sahib transforms for grand assembly, festivities to mark 350th martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur

A special 10^th session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly will convene at Anandpur Sahib on November 24 at 1 pm, according to a notification issued by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.

Invoking Clause (1) of Article 174 of the Constitution, the Governor summoned the Assembly to meet at the Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial in Sri Anandpur Sahib, Rupnagar. This rare off-site session aligns with the state’s three-day commemorative events from November 23 to 25, marking the 350^th martyrdom anniversary of the Ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in an X post on Wednesday, invited devotees from across India and abroad to participate in the events, saying they offer an opportunity to reflect on Guru Tegh Bahadur’s unparalleled sacrifice and teachings.

On Tuesday, CM Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal attended a ‘Kirtan Darbar’ at Gurdwara Chatti Patshahi in Srinagar.

Mann announced that a ‘jathha’ (religious procession), including Kashmiri Pandits, would set out for Anandpur Sahib on Wednesday, travelling through Jammu, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Dasuya and Garhshankar before arriving on November 22. Three additional ‘jathhas’ from Amritsar Sahib, Damdama Sahib and Tarn Taran Sahib are also scheduled to converge at Anandpur Sahib on November 22–23.

A major all-faith convention, along with kirtan, a drone show and a light-and-sound presentation depicting Guru Tegh Bahadur’s life, will be held on November 23–24. Mann said the convention would feature “historic decisions that were never taken before.”

Guru Tegh Bahadur, born in 1621 in Amritsar to Guru Hargobind and Mata Nanki, is revered for his spiritual legacy and sacrifice. He is also credited with founding the city of Anandpur Sahib.

The upcoming session comes soon after AAP’s Harmeet Singh Sandhu secured victory in the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll by a margin of 12,091 votes.