The History of Bandi Chhor Divas

By Keerith Kaur

While many people around the world are preparing for holidays such as Hanukkah and Christmas, us Sikhs are also celebrating a special day. Bandi Chhor Divas celebrates the release of Guru Hargobind Sahib, the sixth Guru, from prison in 1619. 

He became the sixth Guru only at age eleven, when his father, Guru Arjan Dev Ji was executed by the same emperor who imprisoned him. Emperor Jahangir imprisoned the Guru only at the age of fourteen, and he wasn’t released until sixteen. 

Guru Hargobind Sahib wasn’t the only one who was freed on that special day. He also bravely helped 52 wrongly imprisoned princes become liberated. Emperor Jahangir agreed to a condition set by the Guru: all 52 wrongly imprisoned princes could be freed if they could hold on to the Guru's cloak as he walked out. 

But what does this special day mean for us Sikhs? This day celebrates freedom, compassion, and courage.The brave story of Bandi Chhor Divas is supposed to inspire us to fight injustice everyday, because in the end, good will always triumph over evil.This is why we light candles on this special day, it symbolizes light over darkness. 

Overall, Bandi Chhor Divas is a story of selflessness, compassion, faith, and courage. We all can get inspired by the acts of our sixth Guru to be a better person everyday.