Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, but for Sikhs, it holds a very special meaning. Sikhs do not celebrate it as a Hindu festival of lights, but as Bandi Chhor Divas, the day when Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji freed fifty-two kings from Gwalior Fort. To understand why Sikhs celebrate Diwali, we first need to look at the arrest of Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji at the Gwalior Fort and the historical context behind Bandi Chhor Divas.

According to Jahangir’s own book Tuzk-e-Jahangiri [autobiography of Mughal emperor Jahangir], Mughal royal letters, and the book Dabistan-e-Mazahib [a Persian text describing different religious traditions], after the shaheedi (martyrdom) of Guru Arjan Dev Patshah Ji, Sikhi grew even stronger. This was because as soon as Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji became Guru, he adopted two swords, Miri and Piri [symbolizing temporal authority and spiritual authority].

Along with this, Guru Sahib also began training Sikhs in horse riding and the use of weapons. As a result, a Sikh force numbering in the thousands was formed. Guru Sahib established Akal Takht Sahib [the seat of Sikh temporal authority], where he held daily court while seated on the Takht. People brought their petitions, disputes, and matters directly to Guru Sahib, and he resolved them there and then. Instead of going to Mughal officials, people began approaching Guru Sahib.

In addition to this, Guru Sahib built a Lohgarh fort [defensive fort] for the protection of Amritsar Sahib and stationed Sikh forces there.

Murtaza Khan, the Subedar (governor) of Sirhind, and Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi were the same two individuals who had earlier provoked Jahangir against Guru Arjan Dev Sahib and played the biggest role in getting Guru Sahib martyred. These same two people complained to Jahangir against Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji. They said that Guru Sahib had raised an army, went hunting, beat war drums, hoisted battle flags, and held courts where dhadi vaaran [ballads of bravery sung by Dhadi bards] were performed. They claimed that Sikh forces had been organized, forts had been built, and weapons were being collected. They also said that Sikhs had started calling Guru Sahib the true Patshah (sovereign).

They warned Jahangir that if this was not stopped quickly, the Sikhs would one day end Mughal rule and take control of Delhi. Jahangir himself had a very malicious mindset. He wanted to crush Sikhi as quickly as possible.

For this reason, he sent a summons to Guru Sahib, asking him to come to Delhi and appear in the court to answer these complaints. It is important to remember here that no army was sent to arrest or imprison Guru Sahib. Instead, a formal invitation letter was sent through Wazir Khan.

This Wazir Khan was a devotee of Guru Sahib and worked in Jahangir’s court. He was an architect who had built several mosques and forts in Lahore. When Jahangir sent the summons to Guru Sahib, the letter was delivered through this same Wazir Khan.

Gur Bilas Patshahi Chhevin is a text written in 1718. According to this source, when Wazir Khan appeared in the court of Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji, six years had passed since the shaheedi (martyrdom) of Guru Arjan Dev Patshah Ji. This places the time in late 1612 or early 1613.

All Sikh historical accounts also record that Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji’s marriage with Mata Nanaki Ji took place on the day of Vaisakhi. At that time, Vaisakhi occurred in late March. Based on this, Guru Sahib was still in Amritsar Sahib until March 1613. This means that Guru Sahib went towards Delhi in April or sometime after that.

All Sikh historians write that when Guru Sahib reached Delhi, Jahangir personally came forward to welcome him. On seeing Guru Sahib’s royal dignity and stature, Jahangir began to feel uneasy and threatened. Sikh historians further write that Jahangir himself asked Guru Sahib to go to Gwalior.

Guru Sahib and Jahangir both traveled from Delhi towards Gwalior. On the way, they stopped at Dholpur, which is in present-day Rajasthan. It was here that Guru Sahib hunted a lion, and in memory of this event, Gurdwara Sher Shikar Sahib was established at that place.

After that, when Guru Sahib reached Gwalior, Jahangir made an excuse. His astrologers had told him that a great disaster was about to strike him and that it could only be avoided if a holy person or saint spent forty days in penance at Gwalior Fort on his behalf. In reality, Jahangir had bad intentions. On one hand, he wanted to crush the rising Sikh movement, and on the other hand, he wanted to imprison Guru Sahib. That is why he used Gwalior Fort as an excuse.

At that time, Gwalior Fort functioned like a large prison where kings, princes, and other royal prisoners were kept. Once someone was imprisoned there, they were never released. Jahangir felt that Guru Hargobind Sahib was the greatest threat to him, so his real plan was to send Guru Sahib into the fort under some pretext and never let him go.

However, Guru Sahib was highly intelligent and aware of Jahangir’s scheme and bad intentions. Yet, he agreed to enter the fort because he knew that many Hindu kings were imprisoned there, and they had never been released. Guru Sahib went to Gwalior Fort to free these imprisoned kings.

Now, the question is: how long did Guru Sahib stay inside Gwalior Fort? We have clear evidence. There was a pond inside the fort called Gangula Sarovar, where Guru Sahib bathed daily. In memory of this, Gurdwara Daatā Bandi Chhor Sahib was later built at that site. When Sikhs excavated this pond during the 17th century, they found an old stone with an inscription in Persian about Guru Sahib. Its Punjabi translation reads:

“A complete and revered man, the sixth Nanak, Guru Hargobind Ji, was imprisoned by the orders of Badshah Nuruddin Sultan Jahangir of Hind. While in Gwalior Fort, Guru Sahib, the son of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, bathed day and night in this Gangula Sarovar.”

Below the inscription, it mentions the year 1670 Bikrami, which corresponds to 1613 CE. This confirms that Guru Sahib was present inside the fort in 1613.

If we consider that Guru Sahib reached Delhi in April, then he would have arrived at Gwalior roughly a month later. This means he entered Gwalior Fort around May or early June 1613. By mid-1613, Guru Sahib was inside the fort.

Inside the fort, Guru Sahib’s enemies attempted several schemes to kill him. First, they prepared a poisoned garment for him, but Guru Sahib refused to wear it. Next, they tried to poison his food, but Guru Sahib refused to eat the fort’s meals. The fort’s manager, Haridas, became a devoted Sikh and began preparing food from his own earnings, which Guru Sahib ate.

Guru Sahib’s presence changed the atmosphere inside the fort completely. Morning and evening, devotional gatherings took place with kirtan, recitation of bani, and simran [meditation]. The imprisoned Hindu kings attained peace of mind by sitting in the company of Guru Sahib. Inside the fort, there was a lively and spiritual atmosphere. Outside, Sikh sangats waited for Guru Sahib.

To encourage the sangats, Baba Budha Ji established the tradition of Chaukis. Sikh sangats would start from Amritsar Sahib, singing kirtan as they traveled. When they reached Gwalior, they would circumambulate the fort, bow to the fort walls, perform kirtan, and then return to Amritsar Sahib. This is how the history of the Chaukis tradition began.

Now, let us talk about the release of Guru Sahib Ji. According to Mahima Prakash and Gur Bilas Patshahi Chhevin, these texts record that even after forty days, when Guru Sahib was not released, waves of anger spread among the Sikh sangats [congregations]. Their doubt turned into certainty: Jahangir had evil intentions and had kept Guru Sahib imprisoned in the fort through a scheme.

History tells us that because of the sin of keeping Guru Sahib imprisoned through deceit, Jahangir fell seriously ill. He suffered from severe stomach pain that kept increasing. Despite undergoing many treatments, nothing helped, and his suffering continued to grow. Eventually, his qazis and hakims [physicians] advised him that if he released Guru Sahib, there was a chance his illness and pain would be cured. Jahangir, in great agony, accepted this advice immediately.

However, Guru Sahib Ji did not agree to be released for his own sake. He clearly stated that just as the other imprisoned kings had never been released from the fort, he would not leave either. In response, Jahangir set a condition that any king who held onto Guru Sahib Ji’s cloak (chola) and left the fort could be released, while the rest would remain imprisoned.

Guru Sahib accepted this condition. He put on a new cloak with fifty-two tassels, holding each tassel out to a king. In this way, fifty-two kings held onto Guru Sahib Ji’s cloak and were freed from the fort. This is why Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji is called Bandi Chhor [the liberator from captivity] because he freed fifty-two kings who had never been released before.

Now, let us tell you how long Guru Sahib remained in the fort. Different historians have written different durations. Some say forty days, some two years, some four years, and others twelve years. Those who wrote forty days did so because Jahangir had asked Guru Sahib to spend forty days in penance. But historical evidence shows that Guru Sahib remained in the fort for much longer than forty days. Therefore, the forty-day claim is completely incorrect.

The other durations that are sometimes mentioned are completely wrong because there is no evidence to support them. Some historians have claimed seven years based on the Bhatt Vahis [historical records kept by Bhatt bards]. These Bhatt Vahis were written in 1799, and their original name is Guru Kian Sakhian.

Bhatt were people who remembered or recorded the events of the lives of the Gurus. They would also teach these events to future generations. In these Vahis, or in this book, the date of Guru Sahib’s release is written. First, we will read what it says, and then we will explain why it is incorrect.

The Bhatt Vahis write: “Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth son of Guru Arjan Ji, was released from Gwalior Fort along with fifty-two kings on the fourteenth day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Katak in Samat 1676 Bikrami.”

According to this, Guru Sahib was released one day before the full moon of Katak in 1676 Bikrami. This corresponds to the year 1619 CE. If we calculate from 1613 to 1619, it comes to roughly seven years.

However, Guru Sahib was not released in 1619. A major reason for this is that four of Guru Sahib’s six children were born during these years. Bibi Viro Ji was born in 1615, Baba Suraj Mal Ji in 1617, Baba Ani Rai Ji in 1618, and Baba Atal Rai Ji in 1619.

Therefore, the date and year given in the Bhatt Vahis are completely incorrect. Because if Guru Sahib had been imprisoned in Gwalior Fort for seven years, how could four of his children have been born during that time? Our scholars, such as Bhai Vir Singh Ji, Dr. Tarlochan Singh, and others, believe that the date mentioned in the Bhatt Vahis was calculated and written later. While the events themselves are described correctly, the date was not recorded at the time but was worked out afterward. Therefore, this date cannot be accepted because it does not match historical evidence.

There is clear evidence that Guru Sahib went to Gwalior in 1613 and traveled to Delhi that year. Now, if we consider that Guru Sahib entered Gwalior Fort in June and left on Diwali in October, the total time amounts to four months. There is no evidence for a longer imprisonment or release period than this.

Historical records state that when Guru Sahib left Gwalior Fort, the Sikhs of the city celebrated his release with great joy and garlanded him. Naturally, this happened on Diwali. All our historical books record this day as Diwali, which is why we remember Bandi Chhor Divas on Diwali.

After leaving Gwalior, Guru Sahib traveled back toward Amritsar. On the way, Guru Sahib passed through Delhi, Kurukshetra, Beas, Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran Sahib, and Khadur Sahib before reaching the city of Amritsar. This journey took about two months.

When Guru Sahib arrived in Amritsar, Harmandir Sahib was decorated again with lights to celebrate his arrival, and festivities were held. However, the day we celebrate today as Bandi Chhor Divas on Diwali is the day when Guru Sahib freed the imprisoned kings from Gwalior Fort.

Now, let us finally talk about whether we should call this day Diwali or Bandi Chhor Divas. The simple meaning of Diwali is the day when lamps are lit and decorations are made. Hindus celebrate this day by lighting lamps in remembrance of Ram Chander Ji. Sikhs, however, celebrate Diwali in memory of Guru Hargobind Patshah Ji. For Sikhs, Diwali specifically means Bandi Chhor Divas, but in Sikh history, it has been called Diwali, and it has always been remembered by that name. This was never a Hindu festival for Sikhs. Instead, it holds Sikh history and memory within it. Our own history is connected to this day.