Today we remember Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and his supreme sacrifice to champion fundamental human rights for all. He was revered by the Sikhs as Srisht-di-Chadar (Protector of humanity).
 

Story:
 

The Brahmin Pandits were threatened with conversion or death by the Muslim Emperor Aurangzeb. The Pandits overcome by panic, came in a delegation to request Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s
help.

Hearing the serious nature of the conversation, Guru Ji’s 9-year-old son, Gobind Rai Ji, asked his father what the problem was. The Guru told his son of the Pandits dilemma and said that it would take a holy man literally laying down his life to intercede.
Gobind Rai responded “Who would be better than you to defend the poor Brahmins”.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji decided to stand up for the right of freedom of worship and told the delegation to tell Aurangzeb that if he could convert Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, they would gladly convert.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji then left for Delhi knowing that he would die. He died on Wednesday, November 24, 1675, and today, Sikhs all over the world remember the sacrifice that Guru Tegh Bahadur made. He gave his head for the freedom of religion; for all people to have the right to follow their faith in peace.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Jiwas a poet, a thinker, and a warrior. For 20 years before he became the Guru, he was a Master of Renunciation, and spent most of his time in an underground room absorbed in meditation.

Once he became the 9th Guru, he carried forward the light of sanctity and divinity of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the subsequent Sikh Gurus. His spiritual writings, detailing varied themes such as the nature of God, human attachments, body, mind, sorrow, dignity, service, death, and deliverance, are registered in the form of 116 poetic hymns in the sacred scripture of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. 

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