Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day 2024: Date, History and Interesting facts

Every year Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day is observed on 16 June to commemorate the life and the martyrdom of the fifth guru of Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev. Guru Arjan was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith, the other being Guru Teg Bahadur. People of Sikh communities all over the world, especially in Punjab, India observe this day with prayers and religious acts. Find out more details about Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day 2024 such as why it is celebrated, its history, observation and much more from this article.

Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day Upcoming Events

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day for the upcoming years.

Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day 2024 Overview

Date of Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day

Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day is observed every year on June 16 as it was on this very day in 1606 when Guru Arjan was executed by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. However, according to the Sikh calendar, the day fell on the 24^th day of the Jeth month. According to this calculation, the day of Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom varies every year. In 2024, the Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day will be observed on 23 May 2024. a public holiday is observed in the Punjab state of India on the 24^th day of Jeth.

History of Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom

Guru Arjan was born on 15 April 1563 in Goindval to Bibi Bhani and Jetha Sodhi (later came to be known as Guru Ram Das). His mother was the daughter of Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of Sikhs while his father was the fourth Guru. After the death of his father in 1581, Guru Arjan was appointed as the fifth Sikh Guru. Guru Arjan Dev was the one to complete the construction of the Golden Temple in Amritsar and he is also credited with the compilation of the Adi Granth, the religious scripture of the Sikhs.

In 1605, when Mughal emperor Jahangir came to the throne, he set a vision to convert his complete empire to an Islamic state. But when he demanded Guru Arjan to convert to Islam, he refused. Afraid of his influence on Sikh people and angered by his refusal to convert to Islam, Jahangir ordered the execution of the guru.

Following his orders, Guru Arjan Dev was captured and tortured for conversion. Finally, after 5 days of torture, the Mughal emperor ordered his execution and Guru Arjan was taken to the Ravi river. No one after that even saw or heard of the Guru.

How is Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day celebrated?

On Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day, people of the Sikh religion gather together and celebrate the day with worship ceremonies, peaceful gatherings and processions. Many people organize religious events on this occasion where they read Sri Guru Granth Sahib and pay their respects to Guru Arjan Dev. People feed the poor and hungry on this day and langars are also distributed in Gurudwaras all over the country.

Interesting facts about Guru Arjan Dev

On the occasion of Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day 2024, let us learn a few interesting facts about Guru Arjan Dev:

1. it is still unclear how exactly Guru Arjan Dev was executed by the Mughals.
2. There is a controversy following Guru Arjan Dev’s capture and execution.
3. Many believe that due to the rebellious nature of Sikh under Guru Arjan Dev, he had to be executed.
4. Guru Arjan Dev contributed 2,000 hymns to the Guru Granth Sahib, the maximum of any guru.
5. Sikhism is the ninth-largest religion in the world and has more than 26 million people following the religion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Also check other important days