Maghi
is the occasion when Sikhs commemorate the sacrifice of forty Sikhs,
who fought for Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
The day of Maghi is observed to honor the heroic fight of the Chali
Mukte, or the Forty Liberated Ones, who sacrificed their own lives
defending an attack by the imperial army marching in pursuit of Guru
Gobind Singh. The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di
Dhab, on 29 December 1705.
Sikhs celebrate the Maghi with an end to end recital of the holy Guru
Granth Sahib and religious rituals in all the Sikh Gurudwaras.
On the eve of Maghi falls the
common Indian festival called the Lohri
when bonfires are lighted in Hindu homes and alms are also
distributed. The largest assembly, however, takes place at Muktsar
(Punjab) where big fairs are organized and pilgrims take a holy dip in
the sacred waters of sarovar and also visit several shrines. A mahala
or big march of pilgrims from the main shrine to gurdwara Tibbi Sahib,
sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, concludes the three-day celebration.
