THREAD on Bandi Chorh Divas.

In the later part of this thread I talk about Diwali & why there is some conflict among Sikhs in acknowledging the fact that Diwali was/is celebrated by Sikhs.

It is important to note that a lot of things changed after the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Guru Hargobind Sahib can be considered a point of change in Sikh politics and outlook. Many small things that have been unnoticed also changed. Eg) Guru Sahib stopped wearing ‘Seli’

Another noticeable change was that of offerings being brought in the Guru Darbar. It was customary for devotees to bring in food and money to Gurus. Guru Hargobind Sahib changed the course to ‘arms and horses’ instead of money.

Bunga’s open seat was an inch and half higher than Jehangir’s throne at Delhi. Guru Sahib sat in military harness much to the surprise of even Baba Buddha Ji.

Seeing the rising power and activities of Guru Sahib, Chandu wrote to Guru Sahib. The letter had two things in it, a) Frustration of getting his daughter married b) Subtle threat to Guru and hence reconciliation. Guru Sahib rejected his letter saying he will face wrath of Sikhs.

Chandu decided to use Guru Sahib’s reply against Guru Sahib by conveying it to emperor with certain additions to make Emperor feel insecure about the rising power of Sikhs. Macauliffe for example mentions that Chandu told him about Akal Bunga’s height compared to Mughal throne.

Emperor then sent Wazir Khan to summon Guru Sahib. Wazir Khan tried to convince the Emperor that Guru was man of God and meant no harm.

The conversation between Guru Sahib and Wazir Khan is summarised here. Wazir Khan tried to convince Guru that Guru Arjan Dev Ji was wrong to not listen to Emperor’s request and had hence called his own death. Guru Sahib did not buy any of it & held Chandu responsible.

Guru Sahib started for Delhi on 2nd day of Magh 1669 (AD 1612). But before leaving Guru Sahib gave the clear instructions about the sanctity of Harmandir Sahib. These ought to be followed till the last standing man.

Guru Sahib left with 300 Sikhs.

The Emperor received Guru with great apparent respect. Seeing him installed as Guru at young age, emperor tested the divinity of Guru Sahib by asking him

“What is difference between Hindus who worship so many gods & Muslims who worship one true God?” to which Guru replied as

Then Emperor asked him to pick who is holier, a Mussalman or a Hindu. Guru Sahib replied

Guru Sahib accompanied Emperor on a hunting Expedition in forest. The emperor was attacked by a ferocious lion. Many arrows were shot by emperor’s guards but none touched the lion. Guru Sahib sprang on the lion and killed it saving the emperor. Emperor was thankful to Guru Sahib

Emperor’s growing fondness for Guru Sahib was not tolerated by Chandu. He was sleepless at nights and knew that Guru Sahib would tell all his lies and secrets to emperor. He hatched a plan. While Emperor was in Agra accompanied by Guru Sahib, he caught severe illness.

Jehangir consulted an astrologer for the dates to sit on throne after his illness. This isn’t surprising because his mother was a Hindu princess and he was married to one as well. Chandu bribed the astrologer to contrive some plot to keep Guru away from Jehangir.

When the astrologer appeared next morning, he suggested Jehangir to send a holy man to Gwalior fort to pray for his health.

Guru Sahib agreed to go to Gwalior without much questioning. When Sikhs asked Guru Sahib that Chandu is still free and vile, Guru Sahib said that his time has not come yet. Guru Sahib started for Gwalior with five Sikhs.

There is another controversial and bigoted take on Guru Sahib’s detention in Gwalior by Cunningham in his ‘History of Sikhs’. His authority on this is translator of Dabistan Captain Troyer. Cunningham says that Guru owed unpaid Tax of his father to Jehangir & was hence jailed.

This is quite an unwarranted calumny of Guru by Cunningham because the original Persian text doesn’t mention money or tax or that Guru was lavish and fond of Hunting and keeping armies so he spent all the money. This has been refuted by many scholars.

The room in which Guru was kept was on top storey to the left as one enter the Gwalior fort as one enters from Alamgir gate. A Gurdwara stands there today by the name of Bandi Chorh Gurdwara.

As per sikh sources Guru Sahib stayed there for 40-60days. The persuasive efforts of Bhai Jetha at Jahangir's court and maybe the exercise of influence with the Emperor by the Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir, a friend of Guru Arjan, brought an early end to his detention.

It is said and noted by Macauliffe that Chandu even sent a poisoned robe for Guru when he got to know that Emperor had decided to release him.

Guru Sahib wore the robe with 52 strings. Each string was held by a Hindu king who stepped out of fort due to Guru’s negotiation with Jehangir much to disappointment of Chandu

The persuasive efforts of Bhai Jetha at Jahangir's court and maybe the exercise of influence with the Emperor by the Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir, a friend of Guru Arjan, brought an early end to his detention.

The day of release of Guru Sahib & 52 Kings coincides with Diwali (in 2 out of 3 explanations of detentions and release). When Guru Sahib came out there were lights around the country celebrating the end of exile of Shri Ram.

It is wrong to say that Sikhs DO NOT celebrate Diwali but Bandi Chorh Diwas ONLY.
Number of arguments have been presented already on Sikh twitter about this. Before proceeding ahead, this be made clear that Diwali was celebrated since times of Guru Nanak as seen in Janamsakhi

According to JanamSaakhi, at a place called Gorakhmata or Sidh Mata, the natives called Dharus lived. These people became followers of Guru Nanak and were celebrating Diwali during Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s time when he visited them. They still continue to celebrate Diwali upto 1967.

How is it that Diwali then changed to just Bandi Chorh Divas?
How is it that Vaisakhi just changed to Khalsa Sirjana Divas?

I have tried to analyse this and have concluded that this is a relatively new construct. But is it a bad one? That definitely needs some introspection.

William Owen Cole in his ‘The Sikhs: Their religious beliefs and practices’ says that Hindu festivals have always been congregational opportunities for Sikhs and have been used as such by Sikh Gurus as well. Some Firmans of Gurus attest to this fact as well. He says

This brings us to note a very important thing tht the purpose of Diwali/Other festivals has always been congregational & praying to God. None of the Sikh works point to fact or worship of lord Ram on this day.This argument therefore stands correct that Sikhs DONT celebrate Diwali

Similar argument can be issued for Khalsa Sirjana diwas. Vaisakhi being the cultural festival would ensue more crowd & hence Guru Sahib picked the day to create Khalsa as well. This IMO should not be used to judge whether new converts to Khalsa Panth celebrated Vaisakhi or not.

The whole argument around not naming the day of celebration as Diwali comes from Sikh centre of Politics and power- Shri Harmandir Sahib & Shri Akal Takht Sahib. This ideology is post independence construct and this is not the only change that has taken place in Sikh way of life.

Sikh reformist movements gained control of these power houses in 1925 & curbed heteropraxy by institutionalising the centrality of Holy Guru Garanth Sahib Ji. This is the period when reformist & prevaling or popular practice came eye to eye.

Even in the reconstruction of complex after Indian army’s assault in 1984, sites of popular worship were retained. Despite efforts of management to bring institutionalised worship, some popular practice was still carried on and then died.

After formation of SGPC & Sikh Rehat Maryada code, the popular practice became obsolete. Heteropraxy was maligned as non-sikh and thus seen outside the realm of Sikhi. The tag of non Sikh came about for many practices like tying of threads on trees in Parikrama. It slowly died.

This practice was going on in shrines not controlled by SGPC. Although Sikh missionary reach has made sure these things don’t take place. In Gurdwara Chevi Patshashi Baramulla, women used to tie threads around tree trunk that existed since 6th Gurus time. The practice is dead now

The main document of Rehat Maryada (SGPC) has been largely responsible for bringing in the reform of this sort. The Rehat mentions that except for Gurpurabs of Gurus & Sikhi related days, Sikhs are not supposed to celebrate any other day. This declares everything else non Sikh.

While the openness of Sikh traditions beyond the limit of Khalsa identity was identified by Oberoi in 1994, his deconstructive exercise was interpreted as critique of Sikh identity writ large, so much that SGPC wanted an excommunication for him.

As Juergensmeyer notes that the negotiations between heteropraxy or old practices and Modern Sikhisation are near to impossible as modern Sikhs see the revert as an assimilation effort given the social political events taking place in the land of five Takhts.

Also there is implementation issue with practices. Example- As per SGPC’s chapter 5 article 6 on Sikh Rehat Maryada on Kirtan, only a Sikh can perform kirtan in congregation & only hymns from SGGS be sung without improvisation or musical extra ness. Article 6 was not enforced-

-till 1947. After 1947, the Sikhs who were ragis became baptised, some non Sikhs who were employees converted to Sikhi and those who couldn’t detached themselves. Kalra in his study of SGPC study notes

SGPC has passed an edict in 1941 allowing women to perform kirtan but in 2003 when Mejinder pal Kaur and Lakhbir Kaur were stopped from doing Kirtan, it raised the concerns that change even if not threatening isn’t welcome. It wasn’t upto 2005 when Jagir Kaur became SGPC head-

-that women could perform kirtan.

This said SGPC is not against incorporating rituals and institutionalising them as well. For example- where overt obeisance is present, such as at Dukhbhanjani Bheri flocked by worshippers for its healing properties or Baba Budha bheri for -

- various beliefs. A vigilant approach is taken by management to regulate rituals of veneration while also permitting them through institutionalised mediation, ex- by installing SGGS near the bheri.

In conclusion, the approach of SGPC in regulating the Sikh rituals is not entirely draconian and something that we need to reverse engineer to establish that “oh it was going on”. This said, SGPC has a small share of Gurdwaras in the world and a huge %age of Sikhs carry on-

-with the rituals as in Patna Sahib and even Sikh Diaspora. I don’t see this as a challenge or something that a Sikh should be worrying about.