Political contest, Panthic messaging & pilgrim devotion shape Guru’s martyrdom anniversary at Anandpur Sahib

The 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur unfolded at Anandpur Sahib as an extraordinary blend of devotion, political spectacle and institutional rivalry.

While the AAP government and SGPC led political programmes that concluded yesterday evening, the spiritual and cultural attractions including the drone show, devotional congregations and light-and-sound displays will continue until November 29, the historic day when the Guru’s severed head, brought by Bhai Jaita from Delhi to Anandpur Sahib, was cremated at the site where Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib now stands.

The Punjab Government claims to have spent crores of rupees to prepare the holy city for the commemorative events.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann termed the events historic, stressing that a special Vidhan Sabha session was held for the first time outside Chandigarh, a symbolic shift intended to honour Guru Tegh Bahadur.

A major government event, the Sarv Dharam Sammelan, was held at Guru Ka Bagh, the Nihang sect centre of Baba Budha Dal after the SGPC declined permission for the gathering at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.

But despite the state’s attempts to position the Sammelan as a national-level interfaith congregation, it proved lacklustre. The government had invited 28 chief ministers as well as the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Only Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu attended. Public participation too remained thin.

Many pilgrims who arrived on government-arranged buses preferred to offer prayers at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib instead of attending the Sammelan, undermining the state’s effort to showcase the event as a grand interfaith platform.

Local AAP MLA and Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bain’s visibility with posters and banners far outnumbering even those of the Chief Minister.

Expectations in Anandpur Sahib were equally high. Residents had anticipated major announcements such as district status, a medical college, or other large development projects.

Instead, the government declared Anandpur Sahib a holy city and announced a world-class university in the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Though welcomed symbolically, the limited nature of the announcements is expected to fuel opposition criticism and pose political challenges for Bains.

For the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal, the anniversary became an opportunity to reposition their Panthic leadership.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal used the commemorations to issue an emotional appeal for unity among all Panthic factions, urging them to come together to regain political footing in Punjab’s shifting electoral landscape.

The SGPC, which has had a tense relationship with the state government over the control of religious events, used the occasion to reaffirm its religious authority and call for renewed commitment to Sikh issues including the demand for the release of Bandi Singhs.

The BJP also sought to make its presence felt, creating history by organising its own independent religious congregation at Anandpur Sahib on November 19, its first such solo event in the holy town. The move is widely seen as an effort to cultivate a direct connect with Sikh devotees and expand the party’s influence in a region traditionally aligned with Panthic groups.

As cultural events continue until November 29, Anandpur Sahib remains immersed in remembrance, devotion and celebration a testament to the enduring legacy of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji that transcends politics and unites all in reverence.