Dr Mandeep Singh Azad, Dr Kawadeep Kour

President Obama recognizes Bandi Chhor Divas and Diwali. PresidentObama and the White House have continued to recognize the importanceof Bandi Chhor Divas for the Sikh community during this time of year inAmerica.

Bandi Chhor Divas - Prisoner Liberation Day - when the sixth Guru, GuruHargobind, was liberated from Gwalior Fort and took 52 prisoners to free-dom along with him. The occasion of Bandi Chhor Divas first took place inautumn of 1619 and is currently celebrated in October or November; thedate changes according to the lunar calendar. Guru Hargobind's father,Guru Arjan Dev, had been martyred almost 13 years before, and the Mughalauthorities were carefully watching the young Guru. When he constructedthe Akal Takht, the Throne of the Almighty, in Amritsar and concurrentlystrengthened his army, the Nawab of Lahore, Murtaja Khan, grew alarmedand informed the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The Nawab conveyed his fearthat the Guru might be planning to avenge the death of his father. Jahangirat once sent Wazir Khan and Guncha Beg to Amritsar to arrest Guru Har-gobind. Wazir Khan, however, was an admirer of the Guru; instead of arrest-ing him, he persuaded the Guru to accompany them to Delhi to meet theEmperor. Even though Jahangir had ordered the execution of his father,the Guru accepted the invitation and journeyed to the Emperor's court.

When Emperor Jahangir met the young Guru, he was captivated by hischarm and purity of spirit. He queried him as to which religion was better,Hindu or Muslim, to which the Guru quoted lines from Kabir proclaimingthat the One Lord is within both Hindus and Muslims. The Emper-or was entranced by the Guru's wisdom and prepared a roy-al reception for him, after which he invited the young Har-gobind to accompany him on his shikars or huntingexpeditions.

During one of these hunts, the Emperor and hisparty were tracking a lion which had been terroriz-ing a village. Without warning, the lion burst fromthe bushes and charged at Jahangir. Desperate-ly, the other hunters fired their weapons butfailed to stop its attack. At the last moment,Guru Hargobind jumped in front of the beast,yelling that it must deal with him first. Rais-ing his shield to deflect its jaws, as it leapt inthe air he thrust his sword into it, killing itwith one powerful stroke. The animal felldead at his feet. Guru Hargobind had savedthe Emperor's life. The Guru and theEmperor became good friends, but thisonly provoked the jealousy of others whowanted the Emperor's favor for them-selves. One of these was Chandu Shah, arich banker, with influence in the court.Chandu Shah had been influential in arrang-ing Guru Arjan's death and now focused hiswrath on his son, Guru Hargobind.

While in Agra, the Emperor became veryill. It seemed that nothing could cure him.Chandu Shah cornered the court astrologersand convinced them to tell the Emperor that hisillness was due to an inauspicious alignment ofthe stars which could only be cured if a holy manwere to go to Gwalior Fort south of Agra and offerprayers for his recovery. Chandu Shah innocently sug-gested that there was no one more fit for this precioustask than Guru Hargobind. Thus, at the Emperor's request,the Guru agreed and left for the Fort with several companions.

After the Guru had been in Gwalior Fort for several months.Mian Mir, a noted Sufi saint, travelled to the Emperor's court and asked himto release the Guru. Upon his persuasion, the Emperor ordered Wazir Khanto free the Guru but Guru Sahib said that he will not go alone and wantfreedom of the rajput princes also .Jahangir then said, "Let those rajahs be

freed who can hold on to the Guru's coat tails and walk out of prison". Hehad in mind no more than four or five being freed with the Guru. However,the Guru was not to be outmanoeuvred in this way. He asked for a special

coat to be made with 52 coat tails - same number as the rajahsin prison with him! The 52 princes picked the cloak up and

grasped their tassels; 26 on the right and 26 on the left.Walking behind the Guru, careful not to let go, they

stepped out into the sunlight and freedom, to thecheers of the Guru's Sikhs. From this time on,

Guru Hargobind was known as Bandi (prison)Chhor (liberator), and the day of liberation iscelebrated as Bandi Chhor Divas (day). Hearrived in Amritsar on the day of Diwali andHarmandir Sahib (also known as theGolden Temple) was lit with hundreds oflamps to celebrate his return; the daycame to be known as the "Bandi ChhorDivas" (the day of freedom).

Bhai Mani singh transcribed the finalversion of Guru Granth Sahib upon dic-tation from Guru Gobind Singh ji in 1704at Damdamma Sahib. After heavenlyabode of Guru Sahib in 1708 he tookcharge of Harmandir Sahib ji's manage-ment. In 1737, invitations were sent tothe Sikhs all over India to join BandiChhor Diwas celebrations at HarmandirSahib. A tax of 5000 rupees (some say10,000) had to be paid to the Mughal gov-

ernor of Punjab; Zakariya Khan. Bhai ManiSingh Ji later discovered the secret plan of

Zakariya khan to kill the Sikhs during thegathering. Bhai Mani Singh ji immediately sent

message to all the Sikhs not to turn up for cel-ebrations. Zakariya Khan wasn't happy about the

situation and he ordered Bhai Mani Singh ji'sassassination at Lahore by ruthlessly cutting him

limb-by-limb to death. Ever since, the great sacrificeand devotion of Bhai Mani Singh ji is remembered on the

Bandi Chhor Diwas (Diwali) celebration.Guru Nanak Dev Ji tells us in Sri Guru Granth sahib, which

lamp is to be lit. He says, God's Name (divine devotion) is my lamp to belighted in the mind. I have put the oil of suffering; ego, jealousy, anger, lust,greed into it. Its flame has dried up this oil, and I have escaped facing theMessenger of Death and attained union with God.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2013 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine

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Celebrating

Bandi Chhor

Divas

Seema Bhagotra

“Deepavali ,the Festival of Lights, is becoming a major spoil-sport in pollution free environment. Let's have a noiseless andenvironment-friendly Diwali. A GREEN DIWALI. ““India, a landof diversities, has diverse festivals all the year around. Deep-avali, or Diwali, considered to be a Hindu festival, is also cel-ebrated by the Sikhs and the Jains. Hindus celebrate the home-coming of Rama , after fourteen years. The citizens of Ayod-hya illuminated every nook and corner. Sikhs celebrate therelease of Guru Hargobind Singh from Gwalior jail. They alsoused diyas and candles to welcome him. Jain TiranthkarMahavir attained nirvana on this day, so Jains celebrate thisday as a day of enlightenment, thereby the use of lights. Itshows how India is an amalgamation of different cultures cel-ebrating a festival in their own way. “Deepavali, which means,a row of deeps or diyas , is celebrated on Kartik Amavasya.Amavasya or the new moon night , devoid of any natural lightis illuminated by innumerable diyas and candles. Diyas signi-fy dispelling darkness or ignorance with the light that can fill uswith enlightenment and knowledge. Ancient scriptures don'tmention fireworks on Diwali day, but with the passage of time,fireworks made inroad in the festivities. Fireworks are sup-posed to scare away evil spirits.

“Diwali is synonymous with dhoom -dhadaka of fireworks.Fireworks have become a status symbol for the display of theill-gotten wealth. It has become fashionable to use crackersthat cause maximum distress and annoyance to the peoplewith scant disregard to the impact it has on the environment.“Crackers release a large amount of toxic substances whichaggravate respiratory problems, hearing loss and many oth-er diseases; beside the air and noise pollution. Toxins causeimmense suffering to the flora and fauna as well. They are thesilent sufferers, but the green cover , gives reprieve to thepeople by absorbing the toxins and themselves dying a silentdeath. It also serves as a sound barrier to lessen the deafen-ing noise pollution. Supreme Court passed an order in 2005that bursting of crackers between 10pm and 6am is consid-ered an offence, but people do not give an iota of consider-ation to such orders. Sparkling noiseless crackers must beallowed , which will fulfill dual purpose, save the planet andthe need of the festivities. “People worship Goddess Laksh-mi on this day , but burn' Lakshmi' , our hard earned moneyfor a momentary satisfaction. Money used in buying crackersmust be used to feed some needy or to light up some darkcorner of less privileged,the real essence of the Festival ofLights. One can use the same money for themselves for oth-er purposes.

People often give lame excuse that they buy fireworks forthe enjoyment of their children. Firework assembling unitsemploy children which is illegal. So the children should beenlightened on the perils of the crackers and urge them toavoid the toxin-releasing fireworks. “Steps should be takento have a green Diwali to minimise the impact on the environ-ment. For this some simple ways can be adopted. “* Lightearthen diyas and candles , , instead of lights to save elec-tricity. “* Wrap gifts in hand made paper, recycled paper , juteor cloth bags. “* Use eco-friendly crackers made of recycledmaterials. They produce paper fluffers and coloured lightsinstead of deafening noise. “* Use of fresh flowers, rangoli,alpana are more traditional way to decorate the house. “* Itcan be great time to recycle and donate items lying aroundthe house. It will make diwali more brighter for the less privi-leged and yours a meaningful one. “* Think before you indulgein a buying spree in the name of tradition, because extra buy-ing means extra use of the resources. Remember the lessonlearnt in school; reduce, reuse, and recycle. “* Try to have acommunity affair , where people gather together to celebrate.“* Send e-cards instead of the paper cards. Send sms, e-mes-sages to minimise the use of paper. “Keeping in mind the sym-bolic significance of the Festival of Lights, remove the dark-ness of ignorance and enjoy a Green Diwali. “

GO FOR A GREEN DIWALI

Ayodhya Nath Kerni

Ours is the land of festivals. Many festivals haveseasonal backdrop while some are to with our socialcustoms prevailing in the society. Diwali is one of thefestival of harvest time and an indicator of ensuing win-ter season, celebrated with great fervor. Houses arecleaned, white washed and painted regardless of onefinancial status. In the recent past, children in Dug-gar villages would gather and make hand made earth-

en lamps for Diwali. These lamps were lit with DesiGhee and placed before the elderly members of thefamily who in turn gave them blessings and gifts. Now-a-days there is a change in this tradition. The earthenlamps have been replaced with assorted coloured can-dles and electric lamps. The old tradition is also foundmissing in Duggar Region. If one looks back to Sutraperiod, mention of a yajna namely Ashwayuja is tracedin old vedic scriptures. The yajna was performed inancient India which changed with the passage of timeto take the shape of Lakshmi Puja as being celebrat-ed in the present form of Diwali.

Consecutive five days beginning from Dhan Terasto Yam Dwitiya have their own tale, legend and mythto tell. Dhan Teras is celebrated by purchasing uten-sils and kitchenware as a mark of prosperity. NarakChaudas is dedicated to lord Krishna who killed demonking Narakasura ruler of Pragyajyotishpura (Assam),Sri Krishna freed 16000 women kept in captivity bythe demon king and accorded them the social dignityby giving them the status of his wives. Sri Krishnabathed himself smearing his body with the oil. Morn-ing oil bath on Chaudas came into vogue since thatday. The oil bath is considered as holy as a dip in theGanges. Hanuman Jyanti also falls on this day whichis also celebrated by the devotees. The next dayAmavasya is the main Diwali day The day falling nextto Diwali has multi significance. Besides performingGoverdhan Puja, Anna koot; Bali Pratipada are alsocelebrated. Bali steps out of hell to rule earth for threedays according to boon granted by lord Vishanu. Indi-ra fearing to lose his kingdom heaven approached lordVishanu to prevent Bali performing 100th AshvamedhYajna. Lord Vishanu in his fifth incarnation as dwarfBrahmin (Vamanavtar) asked Bali for a gift of spaceequal to his three steps. Bali famous for charity agreedhis demand. Vishanu in his first step measured all theearth and in second step all the sky. Vishanu askedBali where should he put his third step. Bali bound bythe commitment offered his head to put his third step.Lord Vishanu put his third step on the head of Bali

pushing him to netherworld. Bali was granted a boonto visit earth on the occasion of Diwali. Lakshmi wasrescued from the prison of Bali. Fifth day and last dayof festival ends with Bhai Dooj. The sisters invite broth-ers to their houses to offer them tilak and arti. Deli-ciouis dishes are also served to brothers and brothersgive gifts to their sistersin turn.

Diwali is celebrated in various forms by differentsections of society. Tantriks practice their rituals andchant hymns in their own way to attain perfection.Lakshmi Puja is however, performed every where inthe country. People also worship Ganesh and Laksh-mi on this occasion with the desire to get more wealthduring the year. The day is also celebrated as mar-riage day of mother Lakshmi to lord Vishanu. Thelights are the main attractions of Diwali. Exploding offire crackers is seen in the entire country. Merchantsclose their old account books and open new accountbooks on this auspicious day.

Diwali has many historical references and legendsas far as its origin is concerned. Few of them wouldlay hands about the auspicious day. Lord Rama,Lakhsman and mother Sita returned to Ayodhya aftervanquishing Ravana, conquering Lanka and comple-tion of 14 years exile. The residents of Ayodhyaexpressed their joy by decorating their houses and wel-coming them with grace. Oil lamps were illuminedevery where. Drums were beaten and flutes played inthe city. People mounted on the roofs of the house towelcome lords. Since that day each year Diwali is cel-ebrated in our country as victory day.

The Godess of wealth mother Lakshmi incarnatedduring the churning of ocean . The day is also cele-brated as birth day of Lakshmi. Pandavas appearedfrom 12 years banishment as a result of their defeat atthe hands of Kauravas at the game of dice. The peo-ple who loved Pandavas celebrated Diwali by illumin-ing earthen lamps. King Vikramaditya was coronatedon the auspicious day of Diwali . Later on he startedhis own calander known as Vikrami Samvbat which isstill in use in India by astrologers. According to spiri-

tual beliefs Maharishi Dayanand Sarswati , founder ofArya Samaj and Mahavir (Jain Tirathkar) attained eter-nal bliss of nirvana on the auspicious day of Diwali.

The foundation stone of Harminder Saheb (GoldenTemple) was laid down on Diwali in the year 1577 AD.The sixth sikh guru Hargobind alongwith 52 other kingsheld in Gwalior fort and converted into jail by Mughalemperor Jenhagir were released on the day of Diwaliin 1619 AD.

In the modern times, one should remain away fromthe superstitious beliefs like tradition of gambling onDiwali night. Godess Parvati played dice with lord Shi-va on Diwali so whosoever gambled on Diwali wouldgain wealth and become prosperous. Gambling maynot be seen under this pretext. There are numerouscases where people have lost their hard earnings ingambling. Gambling in no way can be recognized byour modern society nor is the demand of the festival.There is the tradition in the society that all jewellaryand cash be placed before the idol of mother Lakshmiwould in order to perform puja and attain the bless-ings of Godess. The doors of the houses are keptopened through out the night with the belief that moth-er Lakshmi visit every house hold on Diwali night. Incase doors are kept opened mother, Lakshmi canconveniently enter to give blessings and prosperity tothe house owners. Such apprehensions are prone totheft and may cause heavy loss. The preventive stepsmay necessarily be taken to ensure the safety .

Indiscriminate use of fire crackers is at increaseeach year particularly in cities. Many cases of fire acci-dents are reported each year. Many lives are lost dueto bursting of fire crackers . Utmost care has to be exer-cised in sale, storage and handling of firecrackers sothat untoward happenings are avoided on festival. Theusage of firecrackers ought to be minimized so as tobring down the pollution level and curtail the wastefulexpenditure.

How good it would if one of attains full. On the dayof Diwali. Let Diwali be celebrated in a manner thatwe get more blessings and happiness.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Diwali has many historical

references and legends as far as its

origin is concerned. Lord Rama,

Lakhsman and mother Sita returned

to Ayodhya after vanquishing

Ravana, conquering Lanka and

completion of 14 years exile.