12/21/2022
The Shaheedi Dihaare (martyrdom days) in the Sikh history falling in the month of December 🙏
21 December 2022 reflects an important day in the Sikh history and that on the world historic stage as well. Commemorating a great 8-day ordeal and series of unparalleled sacrifices starting 6 Poh, 1761 Bikrami (1704 CE) to 13th Poh 1761 Bikrami (1704 CE), we, at Cangem Global, will observe this period falling in the year 2022 from December 21 to December 28 as the "Shaeedi Dihare" (martyrdom days) of Sahibzade ( the 4 sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji aged 18 years, 14 years, 9 years and 7 years old), Mata Gujar Kaur Ji (the mother of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) and numerous beloved sikhs of Guru Sahib who refused to back down in the face of tyranny and injustice.
This set precedence for the entire Sikh community to always uphold the belief that the Khalsa (baptized Sikhs) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji are immortal and they never shy away from giving the ultimate sacrifice in the battles against unrighteousness, evil and tyranny.
Chronological unfolding in history:
6 poh 1761 Bikrami (1704 CE) - Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji left Anandpur Sahib Kila (fort) in Punjab with his family and other sikhs knowing very well that mughals and 22 local hill kings/chiefs will not honour their promise of a safe passage.
7 poh, early morning - the sikhs recited Asa Di Waar kirtan (morning time religious prayers) in the battlefield at the banks of river Sarsa. This reminds us that the khalsa is to never miss the prayers to the almighty even while fighting fierce battles.
7 poh, late evening - Guru Sahib’s family got dispersed while crossing the flooded Sarsa river into 3 groups.
7 poh, night - 1 group, Mata Gujar Kaur Ji with 2 chhote sahibjade (younger sons of Guru Sahib), Baba Zorawar Singh ji aged 9 years and Baba Fateh Singh ji aged 7 years stayed in the jhopri (shanty/shack) of a devotee, Kumma Mashki.
8 poh - Mata Gujar Kaur Ji with 2 chhote sahibjade stayed in the hut of Gangu Brahmin who has been a cook at Anandpur Sahib for 22 years. He betrayed the trust and disclosed the location of Mata Gujar Kaur Ji and chhote sahibzade to the Nawab (ruler) of Sirhind, Wajeed/wajeer Khan and thus they were arrested.
8 poh - In the second group, 40 singhs and Guru Gobind Singh Ji along with his 2 elder sons (18 years old Baba Ajit Singh ji and 14 years old Baba Jujhar Singh Ji) were outnumbered (but not outmatched) by 1 million (10 lakh) soldiers of mughals, hill kings and other armies in the battlefield of Chamkaur Sahib. The ratio of 125,000 enemy soldiers against 1 Singh and still the victory was bestowed upon the sikhs by the Akal purakh (almighty god). 3 Piare (beloved 3 singhs out of 5), 34 other sikhs and both wadde sahibjade (2 elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) attained shaheedi (martyrdom) fighting heroically.
9 poh - Mata Gujar Kaur Ji and Chhote Sahibzade were taken to a prison in Morinda, Punjab upon their arrest.
10, 11 and 12 poh - Mata Gujar Kaur Ji and Chhote Sahibzade were kept in the Thanda Burj (cold tower fort) in Sirhind, Punjab (present day Fatehgarh Sahib) in sub zero temperatures with minimal clothes. They were mentally and physically tortured and were not given any food or water. Some of the tortures on the 9 year old Baba Zorawar Singh ji and 7 years old Baba Fateh Singh ji included being tied to a tree and shot with Gulele (catapults). Motiram Mehra, a beloved devotee of Guru Sahib served milk to them by bribing the enemy soldiers was later killed along with his whole family (ground alive in an oil drill) because of this service. The sahibzade were given a final choice: either accept to change their religion or be bricked alive. They shouted the khalsa warrior chants (sat sri akaaaalo) and proudly chose the latter!
13 poh - Chotte Sahibzade were bricked alive in Sirhind, Punjab (present day Fatehgarh Sahib). When the brick wall fell, the sahibzade were still breathing but they were then slayed (throats slit with a sword in a sacrificial manner). Old Mata Gujar Kaur Ji was pushed alive from the edge of that Thanda Burj and they attained martyrdom.
14 poh - A beloved sikh of the guru, Diwaan Todar Mal Ji, bought a 4x4 square metres of land with gold coins in vertically standing position (current value of which is estimated to be 21 million pound sterling making it the most expensive piece of land in the world history till date) from the tyrant rulers and performed antim sanskaar (last ceremonial rites) of Mata Gujar Kaur Ji and Chhote Sahibzade. He was also later executed by the tyrants because of this service.
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji did not shed a single tear after these events.
Although the history of sikhs is filled with numerous other incidents of sacrifices, valour and bravery but this time of the year in December is considered the most pious and the sikhs come together in solidarity remembering the ultimate sacrifices by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his family members.
