Hundreds of years ago, today, the sikh community celebrated Diwali with Guru Hari Gobind ji, after he returned from the Gwalior Fort.
Guru Hari Gobind ji, commonly known as Guru Hargobind, is the sixth Guru in the lineage of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Guru ji was granted Gurgaddi at the young age of 11, after his father, Guru Arjun Dev ji, was unjustly executed by the Mughal ruler Jahangir.
After his father’s martyrdom, Guru ji emphasized a need for self-defense within the sikh community. However this shift soured the relationship with Jahangir further. Feeling insecure or threatened or simply suspicious, he had Guru ji imprisoned in the Gwalior Fort.
Many years later, upon Guru ji’s release, along with the 52 imprisoned kings who held the tassels of his robe, he arrived at Amritsar. The sikhs rejoiced. They had been celebrating Diwali for the victory of God over Ego, of Shri Ram over Ahankar. Today they had an additional reason for celebration, having been reunited with Guru ji after many years
Guru Hari Gobind ji is the vanquisher of armies, and a benevolent warrior. In this painting, Bhagat has depicted Guru ji with an aura of Bir Ras, the Essence of Warriors…