Bandi Chhor Divas 2026

Bandi Chhor Divas is a Sikh remembrance associated with Guru Hargobind Sahib's release from imprisonment and his return to Amritsar. Sikh tradition recounts that when the Mughal emperor agreed to free the Guru, he refused to leave behind the other detained rulers who had come to depend on his presence.

Bandi Chhor Divas commemorates Guru Hargobind Sahib's liberation from confinement at Gwalior Fort during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Sikh tradition says that when permission for his release came, the Guru would not leave behind other princes imprisoned there. An arrangement was made for them to depart while holding his cloak. He wore a specially prepared robe with multiple tassels, and the account remembers the release of fifty-two rulers. This devotional historical memory gave him the title Bandi Chhor, liberator of prisoners.

The return to Amritsar is remembered through lamps and celebration at the Harmandir Sahib. Exact dating and some details of the captivity and release vary between historical reconstructions and Sikh oral narratives; they must not be asserted with invented certainty. The essential Sikh message is that one's own freedom carries responsibility for the freedom and dignity of others. The day often falls near Diwali, but it has its own historical and religious significance.

Gurdwaras mark the occasion with kirtan, scripture reading, ardas, seva, langar and illumination. Families may celebrate with lamps and community gatherings. The current calendar rule uses Aso Amavasya at dusk, which fits a common date convention but should not be treated as proof of the exact anniversary of the historical release. Temple programmes and regional calendars need consultation.

Bandi Chhor Divas is significant to the community that observes it and helps preserve religious, family and cultural continuity.

The Golden Temple is lit and there are fireworks over the pool. Gurdwaras elsewhere keep it with kirtan and langar, and the lamps at home are the same lamps as Diwali's with a different reason behind them. Bandi Chhor is the release of prisoners, and that is the name the day is asked to be called by.

Falls on the Diwali new moon, and the Golden Temple's illumination is the largest of the year. Sikhs keep it as Bandi Chhor Divas rather than as Diwali, and the distinction is made deliberately: the same lamps, a different reason.