Gurgaddi Purab of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji: the two swords of Miri and Piri

The Gurgaddi Purab of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji remembers the day in 1606 when he became the sixth Sikh Guru, still a boy of eleven, after the shaheedi of his father, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, in Lahore. His Guruship changed the shape of the Sikh community.

Miri and Piri

Before his martyrdom, Guru Arjan Dev Ji is remembered as sending word that his son should sit on the throne fully armed and keep an army as far as he could. At the ceremony, Baba Budha Ji brought the seli, the woollen cord worn by the earlier Gurus. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji asked that it be placed in the treasury and instead wore two swords: one of Miri, worldly authority, and one of Piri, spiritual authority. He explained that the seli would now be worn as a sword belt, and asked Sikhs to bring horses and weapons as offerings.

The Akal Takht

Facing Sri Harmandir Sahib he built a raised platform, the Akal Bunga, now Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Throne of the Timeless. There he held court, heard the sangat's disputes, watched wrestling and martial exercises and listened to ballads of heroism, while Sri Harmandir Sahib remained the place of the Word. The pairing of the two buildings is itself a picture of Miri and Piri: devotion and the duty to stand up for justice, side by side.

How the day is observed

The day is observed with kirtan, Akhand Paath and Ardas, especially at Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Many gurdwaras hold katha on the meaning of Miri and Piri, and some hold displays of gatka, the Sikh martial art.