Observed by Sikhs | 2017 date Saturday, 14 January | |
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Type Sikh, Hindu, religious, cultural Significance Midwinter festival, celebration of Winter Solstice Celebrations Ritual bathing, eat traditional food Begins 1st Magh Sangrand Punjabi calendar | ||
Maghi is the annual festival and one of the seasonal gathering of the Sikhs. It is celebrated at Muktsar in the memory of forty Sikh martyrs (Chalis Mukte), who once had deserted the tenth and last human Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib, but later rejoined the Guru and died while fighting the Mughal Empire army led by Wazir Khan in 1705. Sikhs make a pilgrimage to the site of this Sikh-Muslim war, and take a dip in the sacred water tanks of Muktsar. The day is also called the Makar Sankranti in other parts of Indian subcontinent by the Hindus, and is always on the first day of the month of Magha in Bikrami calendar. It follows the festival of Lohri in north India, particularly popular in the Punjab region.
A fair (mela) is held at Muktsar Sahib every year and called the Mela Maghi is held in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs. Before this tradition started to commemorate the Sikh martyrs who gave their lives to protect the tenth Guru, the festival was observed and mentioned by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of Sikhism.