Essay on Guru Tegh Bahadur (Shaheedi Diwas)

Essay On Guru Tegh Bahadur

Sikhism is considered as the fourth largest religion in India which existed from 15th century. They contribute about 1.7% of the total population. However, the majority of Sikh population resides in India. Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikh religion and the Guru Granth Sahib is their holy book. The Golden Temple at Amritsar (Punjab) is the center of attraction of the Sikh community.

10 Lines Essay on Guru Tegh Bahadur

1) Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth guru, who founded Sikh religion.

2) He was born on 1 April 1621, Thursday at Amritsar, Punjab.

3) He was son of sixth guru Hargobind Singh and Mata Nanaki.

4) He was considered as “Hind di Chaadar” (Shield of India).

5) He had written various hymns in Guru Granth Sahib.

6) On 24 November, Martyrdom Day is observed to highlight his sacrifice.

7) Sis Ganj Sahib and Rakab Ganj Sahib gurdwara is marked as execution and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

8) He sacrificed his life to constitute rights for religion in the society.

9) He was beheaded by Aurangzeb at the Chandni Chowk, Delhi.

10) He died on 11 November 1675, Monday.

Long Essay on Guru Tegh Bahadur in English

Here, I’m providing an essay on Guru Tegh Bahadur which will help you to gather detailed information about him in a very short period of time.

1000 Words Long Essay – Shaheedi Diwas (Guru Tegh Bahadur)

Introduction

In Sikh community ten Gurus are responsible for constituting the Sikh religion. The first guru was Guru Nanak followed by nine other Gurus. The last guru was Guru Govind Singh. Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth guru. He was the grandson of Guru Arjan Dev. He was considered as the Sikh leader from 1665 until his demise. Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti is celebrated on 1 April on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Various events like langar (communal food) are organized in the gurdwaras to feed the poor. In the year 2021, 400 birth anniversary or Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur was celebrated by the Sikh community.

Childhood of Guru Tegh Bahadur

Guru Tegh Bahadur was born on 1 April 1621 at Amritsar, Punjab. He was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Singh and Mata Nanaki Ji.

At an early age he learnt Hindi, Sanskrit, Gurumukhi and various other religious philosophies. He also had knowledge of the Puranas, the Upanishads and the Vedas. He was a master at archery and horsemanship. He also learnt swordsmanship from his father.

His early name was Tyag Mal. At the age of 13 he accompanied his father in the Battle of Kartarpur. After winning the battle, his father renamed him as Tegh Bahadur (Mighty of Sword). He was married to Mata Gujri in 1632 at Kartarpur. The tenth Guru “Govind Singh”, was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Vision and Teachings

In August 1664, a group of Sikh people often referred as Sikh Sangat performed “Tikka ceremony” and honored Guru Tegh Bahadur as 9th Sikh guru.

Guru Tegh Bahadur taught the true purpose of life and reasons behind various human sufferings. He showed the path of peace and harmony.

He inspired followers not to worry about the outcome because everything is handled by the “Nanak”. He depicted the omnipresence of God. He taught that God is present everywhere; inside me, inside you, outside me and outside you. His disciples instructed that having peace in every situation is the way to “Jiwan Mukti”.

The vision and teaching of Guru Tegh Bahadur inspire humanity. He taught hisfollowers how to overcome ego, greed, attachment, desire and other imperfections.

His Contribution Towards Society

The “Guru Granth Sahib”, Sikh holy book holds various works of Guru Tegh bahadur. He had written 116 shabads, 57 shlokas, 15 ragas and 115 hymns.

Guru Tegh Bahadur visited various parts of the country to spread the ideals and principles of Guru Nanak (first Sikh Guru). The places where he visited and stayed are turned into Sikh holy sites. During his journey of spreading Sikh message, he helped people by setting water wells and organizing langar (communal meals) for the poor. 

Kashmiri Pandits were forced to change their religion by the Mughal Army. Fearing from the death sentence they decided to seek help from Guru Ji. About 500 Kashmiri pandits headed by Pandit Kripa Ram came to Guru Ji. Guru Tegh Bahadur saved them from Aurangzeb. He also founded the city Anandpur Sahib.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was the savior of humanity, principles and ideals of the society. Due to his contribution in saving the religious beliefs of Indians, he was considered as “Hind Di Chaadar” (Shield of India).

How did Guru Tegh Bahadur Died?

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb forced people to convert their religion to Islam. He thought that the people will accept Islam if Guru turns Muslim. He tortured Guru Tegh Bahadur along with five Sikhs. Aurangzeb ordered Guru either to accept Islam or perform a miracle. However, Guru Tegh Bahadur refused and protested against the Mughals. At last, he sentenced death to Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded at the center of Chandni Chowk, Delhi on 11 November 1675. Bhai Jaita took the head of Guru Tegh Bahadur and moved to Anandpur Sahib. In between he seeks help from the villagers of Sonipat (near Delhi) to hide the head from the Mughals.

One villager Kushal Singh Dahiya came ahead and offered his head to give to the Mughals. The villagers replaced the head of Guru Tegh Bahadur with Kushal Singh. In this way, Bhai Jaita successfully handed over Guru’s head to Guru Govind Singh (son of Guru Tegh Bahadur) for the cremation process.

However, Bhai Lakhi Shah burnt the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur at his nearby home so that it could not reach the hands of Mughals.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day

Every year 24 November is marked as Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day. Also sometimes referred as Shaheedi Diwas of Guru Tegh Bahadur. This day is observed in order to commemorate the sacrifices made by Guru to save the religion of their citizens.

This day is mostly observed by Sikh community. On this day, Sikh go to Gurdwara and recite hymns written by Guru Tegh Bahadur. They also perform various Sikh worship and rituals. People observe optional holidays in some parts of India.

Many famous personalities including political leaders like the President, Vice President and many others offer tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji on this day.

Memorial and Legacy of Guru Tegh Bahadur

In memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur, various gurdwaras had been made. Several schools and colleges were set up by his name. In Punjab, various streets have been named after him.

Guru Tegh Bahadur memorial in Delhi was set up by the government, which is the center of attraction for tourists.

The gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib at Chandni chowk was built at the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded. Another gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is marked as the place where the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur was burnt or cremated.

Conclusion

Guru Tegh Bahadur was a warrior with a versatile personality. He sacrificed his life for people not belonging to his community. He was one of the selfless martyrs who helped various Indians to peacefully practice their religion. Guru Tegh Bahadur was the symbol of bravery and courage. Due to his huge contribution and sacrifice, he will always be remembered by the people of India.

I hope the above given essay on Guru Tegh Bahadur will be helpful for you to seek knowledge about him.

Related Links:

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Guru Tegh Bahadur

Q.1 Why Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life?

Ans. Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life so that people can practice their religions without any fear.

Q.2 Who wrote Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book)?

Ans. Six Gurus; Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das Composed Guru Granth Sahib.

Q.3 Which city is founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur?

Ans. Guru Tegh Bahadur founded the city of Anandpur Sahib at the foothills of Himalaya.

Q.4 Who founded Sikh religion?

Ans. Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikh religion.

Q.5 What is Prakash Purab?

Ans. Prakash Purab is a kind of Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib mostly organized in Golden temple