The other homecoming

As the diyas lit up in all of Amritsar in the winter of 1619 and at the Sri Harimandir Sahib Gurudwara now known as the Golden Temple it was to welcome the sixth Sikh guru home It coincided with Diwali and with it merged the traditions of two sibling religionsSikhs celebrate the day coinciding with Diwali as Bandi Chhor Divas literally translating to the release of prisoners It marks the day Guru Hargobind secured the release of 52 Rajput kings from the Gwalior Fort where they were imprisoned by the Mughal Emperor JehangirThe Arora familymdashSatpal Singh Mallika Kaur daughter Komal Kaur and son Jasmehar Singhmdashfrom Nerul Navi Mumbai light diyas at their altar and make the effort to go to the gurdwara as a family on Bandi Chhor Divas PicSameer MarkandeldquoGuru Hargobind gave Sikhism its military characterrdquo informs community scholar and author Manpreet J Singh ldquoHe was appointed guru at the age of 11 after the execution of his father Guru Arjan by Jehangir He wore two swordsmdashmiri and pirimdashto symbolise temporal and spiritual powerrdquo He also established the Akal Bunga now known as Akal Takht as the seat of the judiciary for community mattersBy the time he was 1617 years old Hargobind ji had consolidated the Sikhs into such a fighting power that he was imprisoned by Jehangir in Gwalior Fort which already held 52 Rajput princesmdashin some versions kingsmdashwho had rebelled against the Mughal empireAt Gurudwara Shri Dashmesh Darbar in GTB Nagar besides the usual langar and akhand path members of the community distribute sweets and even contribute by buying the large utensils needed to cook for the community PicAnurag AhireldquoOne version of the legend says a prisoner advised the kings to observe Gurbani ka paath for their releaserdquo says Amrik Singh Matta a retired civil engineer who is an invitee committee member for many community and gurudwara affairs ldquoWhen our guru was also imprisoned there they saw it as a sign of their impending release The prisoners were tied to the pillars of the fort and Gurudwara Shri Data Bandi Chor Sahib marks the place nowrdquoAfter 12 years upon the intervention of Sufi saint Mian Mir and Wazir Khan the then governor of Lahore Hargobind jirsquos release was ordered ldquoHowever he refused to leave without taking the Rajput princeskings with himrdquo says Matta ldquosic Mr Jehangir agreed to release them on one conditionmdashhe could take as many of them as would hold on his dress Unhonne apne sevako se kehke ek special dress banvayahelliprdquoManpreet J SinghThis choga Singh informs us had 52 kallis or panels Nerul resident and homemaker Mallika Arora remembers it as a kurta with 52 doris or strings Whatever the detail it was this that the Rajput royalty held on to as the guru left the prison on his horseldquoWhen he came to Amritsarrdquo says Matta who lives in Sion ldquoit was Diwali day and the whole city was lit up with lamps to welcome himrdquo Just as Ayodhya was for Lord Ramrsquos homecoming ldquoWith this the two traditions of different religions merged to gain another dimensionrdquo It also strengthened the brotherhood between the two religionsmdashtraditionally the firstborn son in Punjabi Hindu households was inducted into SikhismSikh families such as the Aroras of Nerul celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas just as they would Diwalimdashwith the lighting of lamps and distribution of sweets ldquoTherersquos no special food or dish associated with the festivalrdquo says Matta ldquoSome people make gudchawal or kheer many just buy sweets as we would anyway for DiwalirdquoldquoIn Sikhismrdquo explains Singh ldquoevery individual celebration is always accompanied by community ones Many families go to the gurudwara in the evening to light diyas and candles with sweets to be distributed among members of the sangatrdquo ldquoWe have a langar and kada prashad is distributed every day anywayrdquo says Arora who visits the gurdwara daily Then therersquos an akhanda paath being read on behalf of someone as well as the gurdwara These days our special effort is really in making it to the gurdwara together as a familyrdquoSome of the larger gurudwaras such as the ones in Kharghar Dadar and Sion may arrange special kirtan programmes and langars ldquoEveryone partakes in the tenant of sewa or service as per their capacityrdquo says Arora ldquoSome may help in the cooking of the langar some in serving it others in a monetary capacity We do all three as and when we canrdquoTo commemorate the martial element of Hargobind jirsquos contribution some gurudwaras in north India host demonstrations of the traditional Sikh martial artmdashGatkamdashperformed by both men and womenldquoMore important than the actual celebrations and ritualsrdquo says Singh ldquois the symbolism of Bandi Chhor Divas To look beyond onersquos self to the larger good and cultivate the moral strength to stand in solidarity with those in an oppressive system On a spiritual level it reinforces that if you believe in your guru she can lead you to freedom from ego and ignorancerdquo