As the winter sets in, at the time of Deepavali, the Golden Temple in Amritsar dazzles with lights. Fireworks sparkle the sky and melodious Kirtans waft through the air. One could be forgiven for thinking that the Sikhs are celebrating Deepavali. But they are celebrating the ‘Bandi Chhor’ Divas,’ commemoration of the release of their sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Singh, from the prison cells of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir.
A fearless person, Guru Hargobind Singh carried the legacy of his father, Guru Arjan Dev, who nominated his son to be the next Guru in 1606, when he was just 11 years old.
According to Sikh historical accounts, the Mughal emperor Jahangir, alarmed at the growing influence of Guru Arjan, wanted to keep him in check by bringing him into the fold of Islam. As he wrote in his memoirs, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri (1609 C.E.):
So many of the simple minded Hindus, nay, many foolish Muslims too had been fascinated by the Guru’s ways and teaching. For many years the thought had been presenting itself to my mind that either I should put an end to this false traffic, or that he be brought into the fold of Islam.
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