Shaheedi Jor Mela Fatehgarh Sahib

Shaheedi Jor Mela Fatehgarh Sahib

Article By. Varinder Singh

Shaheedi Jor Mela is a religious congregation (get-together) organized every year on 26 December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, India to pay homage to the martyrdom of Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh.

Martyrdom

Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were imprisoned by the governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. He offered them to treasure and easy lives if they would only convert to Islam, but they refused and stuck their faith in Sikhism. They were entombed alive by being bricked into a wall on 26 December 1705, but the wall collapsed. Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the Sirhind marks the sit

Mela

The first day of the Mela is observed purely in religious spirits. Later, political rallies and meetings are held by various political parties. Lakhs of devotees pay their obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup on this historic occasion every year during this three-day Jor Mela. All nearby villagers organize langar for the devotees going to visit Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib for the Mel along all the roads leading to the gurdwara.

Each year, the district the administration would do special arrangements for devotees and people visiting the mela like parking areas, controlling the flow of traffic by setting up special barricades and nakas, medical & emergency services and by deploying heavy police force for security. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has been arranging deewan, where the Sikh preachers, rages, dhadi jathas will present devotional songs and give the accounts of the Sikh history. Although Jor Mela is a religious event, a heavy police force is normally deployed all around the Mela site. This event is attended by lakhs of devotees every year and local authorities have to make elaborate arrangements for it.

Guru ka Langar

People of villages of adjoining areas organize Langar which is served on the way to lakhs arriving here. The villagers pool grains, vegetables, milk, and other eatables and prepare the langar for devotees locally known as Sangat. Womenfolk prepare food for langar in the collective kitchen in an open area on the roadside and men serve it to the Sangat coming from far away from areas on Buses, Trucks, trollies and other means of transportation.