Monday, November 21, 2011

The Sis Ganj story

Soon after the joyous celebrations for Guru Nanak, comes the sad event of the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru.

It was at the site of the Sis Ganj Gurdwara in Delhi's Chandni Chowk where the Guru was beheaded in 1675. Guru Tegh Bahadur had taken on the mighty Mughals and made the supreme sacrifice of his life to protect the faith and honour of the persecuted and the downtrodden. He is called Hind Di Chadar or shield of India. This year, his martyrdom day falls on November 24. The guru was born in Amritsar in 1621 and named Tyag Mal. The name Tegh Bahadur (mighty of the sword), was given to him by his father, Guru Hargobind, after he fought with valour against the Mughals.

Aurangzeb seized power in 1658 after executing his liberal-minded brother, Dara Shukoh. Aurangzeb had perceived India as an Islamic theocracy and sought to convert Hindus to Islam. He decided to begin conversions with the Kashmiri Pundits.

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

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