December 26 is observed as Veer Bal Diwas remembering the sacrifices of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Every year, Sikhs remember the sacrifices made by four sons and mother of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Guru Gobind Singh’s younger sons, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh attained martyrdom on December 26, 1705 when they were brutally murdered by Wazir Khan, the Mughal Governor of Sirhind. His two elder sons Sahibzaada Ajit Singh and Sahibzaada Jujhar Singh attained martyrdom while fighting in the Battle of Chamkaur.
Shaheedi Jor Mela or Shaheedi Sabha are observed in Punjab’s Chamkaur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib which is attended by lakhs of people.
In order to achieve the evil objective, Wazir Khan treated the youngest sons and their grandmother with worst form of torture. He kept them in a Thanda Burj which was designed to capture the cold breezes of air drawn over water channels but it was not comfortable for them. They were subjected to trail in his court for two days. Wazir Khan ordered to bricked them alive. On hearing the martyrdom of her younger grandsons, the grandmother Mata Gujari Ji also breathed her last.
A few years later, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur avenged the execution of the Sahibzade, by attacking, capturing Sirhind and executing Wazir Khan.
Commemorating the martyrdom of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the Prime Minister said their sacrifices are not only being remembered in India but also globally through programmes in countries like the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ event at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and said that Sikh gurus have taught Indians to live for the glory of their land and served as an inspiration to make the country better and developed, according to PTI.