Shaheedi Jor Mela

Shaheedi Jor Mela is organised every year in December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab to pay homage to the martyrdom of Baba Zorawar Singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji, the youngest of the tenth guru of sikhs Guru Gobind Singh's four sons.

Supreme sacrifice

Both Sahibzada's defied all attempts of then Governor of Sirhind Wazir Khan's offers of treasure and easy lives if they would only convert to Islam. Holding steadfast in their will to die as Sikhs, they were first entombed alive by being bricked into a wall, but mere bricks and mortar could not hold the young Sahibzadas, for the wall collapsed and fell to the ground. Then, on 26 December 1705, Baba Fateh Singh ji was cruelly and mercilessly martyred at Sirhind along with his elder brother, Baba Zorawar Singh. He is probably the youngest recorded martyr in history who knowingly and consciously laid down his life at the very tender age of 6 years. Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib, 5 km (3 miles) north of the Sirhind marks the site of the live entombment of the two younger sons of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh by then Governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan.

Mela Schedule

The first day of the Mela is observed purely in religious spirits. The mela would begin from December 24 with Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib at gurdwara Jyoti Swarup. Political rallies & meetings would be held by various political parties next day, for which stages have been set up near gurdwaras. Mela will conclude on December 26 with nagar kirtan from gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to gurdwara Jyoti Swarup.

People participation

Lakhs of devotes pay their obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup on this historic occasion every year during this three day Jor Mela[3]. All nearby villagers organize langar for the devotees going to visit Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib for the Mela along all the roads leading to the gurdwara. During Mela days, the service of the people is exemplary with community kitchens serving tea, snacks and meals every mile on the way to Sirhind, whichever way you are coming from. People from far away places come to Sirhind to do karsewa and braving the chilly weather in tents out in the open.

Arrangements

Each year, the district administration would do special arrangements for devotees and people visiting the mela like parking areas, controlling 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, ragis, dhadi jathas will present devotional songs and give the accounts of the Sikh history.

Although Jor Mela is a religious event, but heavy police force is normally deployed all around the Mela site