Jamshedpur, June 17 : The martyrdom day of the fifth Sikh Guru, Shri Arjun Dev ji was observed today at several gurudwaras of the city with devotion.
The Sikhs thronged the Gurudwaras since early morning to listen to
Shabad Kirtan and the discourses on the life and works of Guru Arjun
Dev ji. The Guru Ka Langar, (community kitchen) and distribution of
cold and sweetened water at various Gurudwaras was also arranged. All
the 34 gurudwaras in the city had made special arrangements for the
occasion.
�Today is the martyrdom day of Guru Arjun Dev and a historic day for
us all. Our guru sacrificed his life for us and that is why we have
gathered at gurudwara to pay our respects. It was on this day in 1606
AD that the Guru was tortured to death at Lahore in Pakistan during
the reign of Mugal Emperor Jahangir,� said Balbir Singh, a devotee at
Bistupur gurudwara.
�Our fifth guru sacrificed his life, attaining a unique and
unparalleled martyrdom. Guru Arjun Dev was barely 43 years old at the
time of his supreme sacrifice.Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth guru of the
Sikhs, was the embodiment of godly devotion, selfless service and
universal love,� said another devotee.
Addressing the gathering at Jugsalai gurudwara, Bhai Satvinder Singh
said that major contributions of Shri Guru Arjun Dev was compilation
of the present Sikh Guru Granth Sahib and the construction of the
holiest of the holy places, Shri Harminder Sahib in Amritsar.
Singh added that his most significant contribution was the compilation
the Adi Granth in 1604 A.D. Equally significant was his inclusion in
the Granth Sahib selections of verses by Hindu and Muslim saints.
The youngest son of the fourth Guru, Ram Das, Arjun Dev was born at
Goindwal, near Amritsar, in 1563 A.D. Guru Arjun was the
founder-builder of Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden
Temple. Guru Arjun Dev expanded the city of Amritsar and Kartarpur and
founded the city of Tarn Taran too.
Guru Arjun Dev was arrested, and tortured for five days on the orders
of Emperor Jehangir, who believed that the Guru had plotted against
him and ordered his execution.Apart from gurudwaras there were several other organisations that distribution of cold and sweetened water at various places of the city.