Happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas

Yesterday Diwali or the ‘Festival of Lights’ was celebrated by many Hindus and Sikhs across the globe. As a Sikh I knew the reason behind the Hindu celebrations, the triumph of good over evil. It is the celebration of Ram returning home with Sita after defeating the demon Ravan, who had kept Sita as a hostage. But, what is the reason behind the Sikh celebrations?

How it began...

The Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, had imprisoned Guru Hargobind Ji on political grounds. Jahangir believed that Guru Ji, due to his increasing popularity, was becoming a threat to his empire. However, the initial threat came once Jahangir realised that by imprisoning Guru Hargobind Ji, he himself had turned many against his thrown.

In order to rectify his mistakes, Jahangir agreed to release Guru Hargobind Ji from Gwalior. But Guru Ji refused to accept the grounds of his release until 52 innocent Hindu kings were granted their freedom alongside him. On hearing this Jahangir set his own conditions. Only those kings would be released who could hold onto the tails of Guru Ji’s cloak.

As a result of Jahangir's conditions Guru Hargobind Ji soon had a cloak made with 52 tails, one for each king. The day of Guru Ji’s release is known as Bandi Chorrh Divas and it was on the day of Diwali that Guru Ji had finally returned to Amritsar.

In the Georgian calendar Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas are commonly celebrated on the same day.

How do we celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas?

Family and friends often gather in order to celebrate Guru Hargobind Ji’s freedom. We visit the local gurdwara in order to gain Waheguru Ji’s blessing for the year ahead. In the evening we light divas and share with one another Indian snacks and sweets, this is followed up by a firework display to end the evening’s festivities.

Glossary

Amritsar	“Pool of nectar” Is the spiritual centre of Sikhism located in the North Indian state of Punjab.
Bandi Chhor Divas	“Prisoners’ Release Day” Is the day when Guru Hargobind Ji and 52 kings were released from Gwalior prison.
Diva	Lamp
Diwali	Is an abbreviation of "Deepavali" meaning "row of lamps".
Gurdwara	A Sikh place of worship.
Guru Hargobind Ji	The sixth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism.
Gwalior	City in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Jahangir	The fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605-1627
Mughal Emperor	Is the term used to refer to those who ruled the Mughal Empire in South Asia.
Ram	The seventh avatar of the God Vishnu in Hinduism.
Ravan	A devout follower of the god Shiva. Ravan is believed to have had ten heads
Sita	Is the consort of Ram and an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi.
Waheguru Ji	Is the term used by Sikhs to refer to God.