Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
- What
- Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
- When
- 6/16/2021
- Where
- Sikh
The Martyrdom of Guru Arjan is a Sikh holiday that commemorates the life and death of the fifth leader of the Sikh religion, Guru Arjan Dev. It is on June 16th, that 30 million Sikh's around the world will commemorate the religious figure who gave up his life as a martyr for the Sikh people.
Guru Arjan Dev is a very important figure in the Sikh religion both in his life and in his death. Throughout his life he was accredited with influencing many people to follow Sikhism. In addition he is known as laying the foundation for Harmandir Sahib which is the most important pilgrimage site for Sikhs. Guru Arjan Dev also collected the hymns and writings of past Guru's to create the Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy text for Sikhs. Guru Arjan Dev was not only celebrated for his life, he is also celebrated on this day for his death. On June 16th, 1606 Guru Arjan died after being tortured by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir for 5 days. The Guru was asked to either convert to Islam or pay a fine and admit wrongdoing, he refused both to honor the Sikh people and because of this he is known as a martyr who gave his life to honor those of the Sikh religion.
This day is commonly celebrated with a cover to cover reading of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is then followed with hymns and lectures on Sikhism. Sometimes, a procession is held with the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and free sweets are offered to the general public outside gurdwaras, or the Sikh place of worship.