Bandi Chhor Divas: why Sikhs celebrate on Diwali

Bandi Chhor Divas, the Day of Liberation, falls on the same day as Diwali. Sikhs celebrate it in memory of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, who refused to leave his imprisonment in the fort of Gwalior unless fifty-two kings held with him were set free too.

The Guru at Gwalior

Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, the sixth Guru, built Sri Akal Takht Sahib and raised a body of armed Sikhs, and the emperor Jahangir grew wary of him. On a pretext, which tradition links to an unpaid fine imposed on his father, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the Guru was held in the fort of Gwalior, where many princes were kept as political prisoners. Sikhs came from Punjab to bow at the walls of the fort, and the Guru's presence comforted the other prisoners.

The cloak of fifty-two tassels

When Jahangir ordered the Guru's release, the Guru refused to go unless the fifty-two kings imprisoned with him were also freed. The emperor, thinking few could escape, said that as many as could hold on to the Guru's cloak might leave with him. The Guru had a cloak made with fifty-two tassels, and every king walked out holding one. He became known as the Bandi Chhor, the liberator of prisoners. Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor Sahib now stands at Gwalior Fort.

The lights of Amritsar

When the Guru reached Amritsar, the city lit lamps to welcome him. The tradition continues: on Bandi Chhor Divas, Sri Harmandir Sahib and the whole complex are lit with lamps and candles, fireworks light the sky over the sarovar, and sangats fill the parikarma. In gurdwaras and homes everywhere, Sikhs light lamps, hold kirtan and Ardas, and share sweets.