Gurdwara Sis Ganj was established in the year 1783 by Baghel Singh to mark the martyrdom of the ninth guru of the Sikh religion, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. The Gurudwara is built on the location where the guru was beheaded on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The incident took place after Guru Sahib refused to leave his Sikh religion and convert to Islam forcefully.
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib is considered one of the nine historical gurudwaras of Delhi, situated in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. The ninth Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in this gurudwara in the year 1675. He fought for the Kashmiri pandits who were being forced to convert to Islam leaving their religion on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He was against the forceful conversion of religions which led to the martyrdom of Guru Sahib. He made this supreme sacrifice to protect the fundamental right of humans- the right which grants us to freely choose and practice any religion or belief of our choice.
In the early part of 1675, Kashmiri pandits approached Guru Tegh Bahadur in gurudwara Anandpur sahib for help against forcible conversion. These Hindus were warned to convert to Islam or get killed by emperor Aurangzeb. Guruji addressed the Kashmiri pandits by saying, go and tell emperor Aurangzeb that if he can convert me into Islam then we all will take up Islam as our religion. Aurangzeb was glad when he was informed about this decision of Guru sahib, delighted that by conversion of one he will be able to convert thousands of pandits easily.
Guru Sahib along with his disciples and Kashmiri pandits were bought to Delhi by the Mughal emperor and were asked to either accept Islam as their only religion or face the death penalty for the same. He asserted that he would rather give up his life than leave his own faiths or beliefs and convert to other religions. As a consequence of it, he was tortured with his companions- Bhai Mati das, Bhai Dyal Das, and Bhai Sati Das.
Guru Sahib was caged and tortured inhumanly. His three disciples were sawn alive, boiled in the cauldron, and roasted alive in front of the Guru. Eventually, Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in Chandni chowk's Gurudwara Sisganj Sahib on the charges that he was the stumbling block in the way to spread Islam in India. Guru Sahib is from that time titled as Hind-di-Chadar or shield of India.
Thousands of humans were killed for this basic right including the Guru Sahib, who fought bravely for the Kashmiri Pandits. To protect Guru's body from public viewing and more disrespect, one of his disciples Lakhi Shah Vanjara recovered it in darkness. He then set his house on fire to cremate the martyred guru's body. The place now stands to be called Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib which is situated in Delhi today.
The parted head of Guru Sahib was taken to Kiratpur Sahib by Bhai Jaita and was received by Guru's son Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The head was further carried for a cremation to Anandpur. Gurdwara Sri Bibangarh Sahib Kiratpur marks the place where the sacred head was received.
The tree under which Guru Sahib was beheaded is preserved to date, along with the well from which Guru took bath while he was prisoned by the emperor. The place where Guru Tegh Bahadur was imprisoned and his Sikhs were tortured also stands to date in Chandni Chowk next to Gurudwara.
The historical gurudwara is visited by devotees in huge numbers on daily basis. Everyone irrespective of their religion, caste, or gender are welcomed here and served Langaar with all respect as well as equality.
