About Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day, or Shaheedi Purab, remembers the ninth Sikh Guru, who was beheaded at Chandni Chowk in Delhi in November 1675 on Aurangzeb's orders. Sikhs mark it in gurdwaras with Akhand Path, kirtan and ardas. By the SGPC's lunar calendar it falls on Monday, 14 December 2026 in 2026, while the central government's holiday list keeps it on 24 November.
Who was Guru Tegh Bahadur?
Guru Tegh Bahadur was born Tyag Mal in Amritsar in 1621, the youngest son of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, whose release from Gwalior Fort Sikhs remember on Bandi Chhor Divas. Sikh tradition says he earned the name Tegh Bahadur, "brave of the sword", for the way he fought at the battle of Kartarpur against a Mughal force in the 1630s.
He then lived quietly at Bakala, near Amritsar. In 1664 the dying eighth Guru said only that his successor was "at Bakala", and Sikhs tell how a trader, Makhan Shah Labana, picked out Tegh Bahadur from several claimants there. He became the ninth Guru that August.
As Guru he bought land in the Shivalik foothills from the Rani of Bilaspur and founded the town that became Anandpur Sahib. He travelled widely, through Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna to Dhaka and Assam, opening langars and digging wells. His son Gobind, later Guru Gobind Singh, was born at Patna in 1666 while he was away in Assam. More than a hundred of his hymns, in 15 ragas, were added to the Guru Granth Sahib by that son.
Bhai kahu kau det nahi, nahi bhai manat aan. (The one who frightens no one and fears no one is truly wise.)
What happened in Delhi in 1675
Sikh accounts say a group of Kashmiri Pandits, led by Kirpa Ram, came to Anandpur asking for help against forced conversion under Aurangzeb. The Guru set out for Delhi, was arrested at Ropar, held at Sirhind and brought to Delhi in November 1675. Asked to convert to Islam or perform a miracle, he refused both.
Three of his companions were killed in front of him first. Bhai Mati Das was sawn in two, Bhai Sati Das was cut to pieces and Bhai Dyala (Dayal Das) was boiled in a cauldron. The Guru was then beheaded in public at Chandni Chowk, near the Red Fort. The date usually given is 11 November 1675.
Bhai Jaita, later named Bhai Jivan Singh, carried the Guru's head to Anandpur, where it was cremated and where the Guru's nine-year-old son became the tenth Guru. In Delhi, Lakhi Shah Banjara and his son took the body to their home near Raisina and burned the house down to cremate it.
Three gurdwaras stand on these sites. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, built after the Sikh leader Baghel Singh entered Delhi in 1783, keeps the trunk of the tree under which the Guru was executed and the well he used in prison. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, beside Parliament House, marks the cremation of the body. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib at Anandpur marks the cremation of the head.
Historians do not all read the execution the same way. Sikh tradition sees a Guru who died defending the freedom of people outside his own faith. Some Mughal-era Persian chronicles described him as a rebel, and modern scholars such as Louis Fenech and Satish Chandra have questioned parts of the traditional story or argued that he died for his own faith. ## Why it is called Hind di Chadar
Hind di Chadar means the sheet or shield that covered India. He is also called Dharam di Chadar, protector of dharma, and the court poet Sainapati called him Srisht di Chadar, protector of all creation. Some Sikh scholars, such as Harinder Singh of the Sikh Research Institute, find the "Hind" label too narrow for a stand they see as one for everyone's freedom of conscience.
Why there are two dates
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages the Golden Temple and the historic gurdwaras of Punjab, fixes the Shaheedi Purab by the lunar Bikrami date, Maghar Sudi 5: the fifth day of the bright half of the month Maghar. A lunar year runs about 11 days short of a solar one, so the Gregorian date moves between the third week of November and the middle of December. The SGPC remembers his three companions the day before.
| Calendar | Date | Who follows it |
|---|---|---|
| SGPC (Bikrami lunar) | Maghar Sudi 5, moves each year | The Golden Temple and most gurdwaras in India |
| Original Nanakshahi (2003) | 11 Maghar, fixed at 24 November | The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and some gurdwaras abroad |
| Central government list | 24 November | A restricted holiday: offices stay open, staff may take the day off |
The 24 November date comes from the original Nanakshahi calendar, which the SGPC adopted in 2003 and later amended to bring back lunar dates. The central list kept it. In 2026 the two fell three weeks apart: 24 November, also Guru Nanak's birthday that year, and 14 December by the SGPC. If a friend's gurdwara keeps a different day from the one shown here, neither is wrong. State holiday lists vary; see the 2026 calendar.
How the day is observed
The Shaheedi Purab is kept in gurdwaras. An Akhand Path, the unbroken reading of the Guru Granth Sahib over about 48 hours, ends that morning. Ragis sing the Guru's own shabads and saloks, a kathavachak tells the story of 1675, and the day closes with ardas and langar, open to anyone. In Delhi people gather at Sis Ganj and Rakab Ganj, in Punjab at Anandpur Sahib.
It comes a few weeks after Guru Nanak Gurpurab, but the mood is different. Many Sikh families avoid celebrations on this day.
What to write
Keep it short. Name Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, bow to the sacrifice and point to what he stood for: fearlessness and other people's freedom to worship. You do not need to be Sikh to send one.
Do
- Say "remembering", "bowing to" or "koti koti pranam" (countless salutations).
- Use "Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji" or "Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji", with the honorific.
- If you visit a gurdwara, cover your head, remove your shoes and accept langar sitting on the floor.
Avoid
- Don't write "Happy Martyrdom Day" or "Happy Shaheedi Diwas".
- Don't use "vadhaiyan" (congratulations), which suits the Gurpurabs of a Guru's birth, not this day.
- Don't use diyas, fireworks, confetti or party graphics on the card.
Remembering Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on his Shaheedi Purab today. He gave his life so that others could keep their faith. Thinking of you and your family as you go to the gurdwara.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji de Shaheedi Purab te koti koti pranam. Waheguru sanu vi sach te datt ke khade rehan da bal bakhshe. (Countless salutations on the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. May Waheguru give us too the strength to stand firm for the truth.)
Today Sikhs remember Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, who was executed in Delhi in 1675 for defending other people's right to their faith. Wishing you and your family a peaceful day of remembrance.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji stood up for people whose faith was not his own. On his Shaheedi Purab I bow to that courage, and I am grateful we grew up with his story.
Bhai kahu kau det nahi, nahi bhai manat aan. Shaheedi Purab te Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji nu nimrata sahit pranam. (He frightened no one and feared no one. Humble salutations to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on his martyrdom day.)
If you are at Sis Ganj Sahib today, please say an ardas for our family too. Remembering Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, and Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala Ji, with you.
- Shaheedi Purab
- Martyrdom anniversary; also called Shaheedi Diwas or Shaheedi Dihara
- Maghar Sudi 5
- Fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month Maghar, the SGPC's date for the day
- Hind di Chadar
- "Shield of India", a title for Guru Tegh Bahadur
- Koti koti pranam
- Countless salutations; a respectful line for a martyrdom day
- Ardas
- The standing prayer said at the end of a Sikh service
How to wish someone on Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day
This is a martyrdom day, so a message remembers rather than celebrates. Never write "Happy", and skip "vadhaiyan", which means congratulations. Name the Guru, bow to his sacrifice, and mention what he is remembered for, such as standing up for other people's freedom to practise their faith or his teaching of fearlessness. "Shaheedi Purab te koti koti pranam" (countless salutations on the martyrdom day) is a respectful Punjabi line. Keep it short and plain, with no party or festive imagery.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Punjabi + Hindi.
Good to know: A martyrdom day. Never "Happy"; bow in remembrance. No confetti or party graphics.
When is Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day in each year?
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day is set by the Sikh lunisolar (Bikrami) calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
- 2028may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day in 2026?
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day 2026 falls on Monday, 14 December 2026.
Why is Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom observed on two different dates?
The SGPC sets Guru Tegh Bahadur's Shaheedi Purab by the lunar date Maghar Sudi 5, so it moves between late November and mid-December. The central government's holiday list and the original Nanakshahi calendar keep it fixed on 24 November, so some gurdwaras and offices mark the day on a different date from others.
What should you say on Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day?
On Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day, say words of remembrance, not celebration: for example, "Remembering Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on his Shaheedi Purab" or, in Punjabi, "Shaheedi Purab te koti koti pranam". Avoid "Happy" and "vadhaiyan", which means congratulations.
Why is Guru Tegh Bahadur called Hind di Chadar?
Guru Tegh Bahadur is called Hind di Chadar, the shield of India, because Sikhs remember him giving his life in 1675 to defend the right of Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus to keep their faith. Some Sikh scholars prefer to describe his stand more widely, as one for everyone's freedom of conscience.
Where was Guru Tegh Bahadur martyred?
Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded at Chandni Chowk in Delhi in November 1675, where Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib now stands. His body was cremated at the site of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib near Parliament House, and his head was carried to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
Who were Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala?
Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala were companions of Guru Tegh Bahadur who were arrested with him and killed in Delhi just before his execution in 1675. The SGPC remembers them on the day before the Guru's Shaheedi Purab.
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