Today sikhs are celebrating the birthday of Baba Deep Singh Jee. Lets have a look back on the life and martyrdom of this great gursikh.
Early Life: Baba Deep Singh Ji was born on the 20th January 1682 A.D. in the village of Pahuwind in district of Amritsar. His father’s name was Bhai Bhagtu. He went to Anandpur on the Vaisakhi of 1700 A.D., where after obtaining baptism (into Sikhi) he started learning weaponry and riding from the Sikhs. He began learning reading and writing Gurmukhi and interpretation of Guru’s word from Bhai Mani Singh Ji.
Sewa: After spending couple of years at the Guru’s institution, he returned to? his village in 1702 A.D. got married and started living there. He then went to Guru Gobind Singh Ji at Talwandi Sabo in 1705 AD where he helped Bhai Mani Singh Ji in making copies of Guru Granth sahib.
Sikh Sangat at Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo.
After, Guru Sahib left for Delhi, he took up the service of looking after Gurudwara Damdama Sahib.
Joining the Army: In 1709 A.D., he joined Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in chastising the tyrants of Sadhaura and Sirhind. in 1733 A.D. he was appointed as a leader of one of the squad by Nawab Kapoor Singh Singhpuria. On Vaisakhi day of 1748 A.D., when Dal Khalsa was reorganized into twelve misls, he was entrusted with the leadership of Shaheedan Misl.
Storming of Golden Temple: In April 1757 A.D., when Abdali during his fourth invasion was returning to Kabul from Delhi with precious booty and young men and women as captives, Singhs made a plan to rob him of the valuables and set the prisoners free. The squad of Baba Deep singh was deployed near Kurukshetra. His squad freed large number of prisoners and lightened the burden of valuables of Abdali considerably. While departing from Lahore, Abdali appointed his son Taimur Shah, the Governor of Lahore and told him, “Try to finish them (Sikhs)?. In accordance with his orders Taimur Shah started demolishing Gurudwara?s and filling the holy pools with debris.
Restoring the sikh pride: When Baba Deep singh came to know of the demolition of Harminder Sahib, he narrated it to the congregation of Damdama Sahib and said, “Diwali will be celebrated at Amritsar this year.” Five hundred Singhs came forward to go with him. Baba Deep Singh offered prayers before starting for Amritsar, “My head may fall at Harminder Sahib.” By the time squad reached Taran Tarn the number of Singhs going with Baba Deep singh reached approximately Five thousand.
Baba Deep Singh Ji preparing the sikh army for defending the sikh pride.
As the news of the approach of Singhs spread, the Governor of Lahore sent his general with an army of Twenty thousand(20,000) to face them. His army took up positions Six miles north of Amritsar and waited for the Singhs there. Both the armies clashed near Gohalwar on the 11th November, 1757 A.D. Fighting bravely Singhs pushed the army back and reached village Chabba where General Attal Khan came forward and inflicted a blow on Baba Deep Singh ji which made his neck lean to one side.
Baba Deep Singh ji holding his head in one hand and sword in the other.
A Sikh reminded him, “You had resolved to reach the periphery of the pool.” On hearing the talk of the Sikh, Baba Deep Singh ji did unfathomable task. With Guru’s Grace he took his head in his left and double-edged sword in the right hand, removing the enemies from his way with the strokes of his , reached the periphery of Harmindar Sahib where he breathed his last. There was a chaos in the rival amr and when they saw this miracle of a Gursikh many afghanis are said to have left the battlefield.
Shaheed Baba Deep Singh jee and other gursikhs paying homage at Sri harimandir sahib, Amritsar
The Singhs celebrated the Diwali of 1757 A.D. in Harminder Sahib. Today at the same spot, just south of the norteast corner of the parkarma at Sri harimandir sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar, a large marble octagonal tile marks the spot where his head landed. Many pilgrims stop and pause here daily, as they have since his death, to sprinkle rose pedals and lay garlands on the tile as they pray in his honor.
