Chandigarh: To mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Punjab government has drawn a vast commemorative blueprint that mixes devotion, education, civic outreach and spectacle. The programme is statewide in reach, begins in early November and culminates in three days of central observances at Sri Anandpur Sahib from November 23 to 25, 2025. The state has framed the events as an occasion to propagate the Guru’s message of sacrifice, righteousness and freedom of faith for all humanity.
Education minister Harjot Singh Bains and Deepak Bali, advisor to tourism and cultural affairs, laid out the details at a press briefing in Chandigarh. They underlined that the commemoration is not merely ritual but an effort to make the Guru’s message live in schools, colleges and communities. To that end, the government has announced a mandatory 15-day educational module for all schools in Punjab — from nursery to Class XII — starting November 10. Each morning assembly will feature a 10–12 minute pre-recorded recitation on Guru Tegh Bahadur’s life, martyrdom and the creation of the Khalsa. Universities, colleges, ITIs and polytechnics — public and private — have been asked to hold seminars and events during the period.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Tarunpreet Singh Sond explains that the Light and sound shows will begin across districts on November 4, with a specially curated 45-minute presentation staged in cities such as Patiala, Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot on the opening day. These shows are intended to combine history with immersive storytelling to reach young and old alike.
The journey of remembrance: four nagar kirtans and the Kashmir connection
A signature feature of the state plan is the convergence of four major nagar kirtans that will traverse different parts of the country and converge at Sri Anandpur Sahib on the evening of November 22. One of these yatras will begin from Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) on November 19, starting at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, and will be led by Kashmiri Pandits alongside Kashmiri Sikhs — a symbolic return to those for whom the Guru had stood. The route will halt at Jammu on November 19, Pathankot on November 20 and Hoshiarpur on November 21 before joining at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
Four great journeys, one destination
According to the official Schedule of Events – 350 Years document, four major processional routes have been planned:
· Main Route (Srinagar–Anandpur Sahib): beginning from Srinagar, the yatra will move through Jammu, Pathankot, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Mahilpur and Garhshankar. There will be halts at Jammu (November 19), Pathankot (November 20), and Hoshiarpur (November 21).
· Majha–Doaba Route: covering Gurdaspur, Batala, Amritsar, Tarntaran, Kapurthala, Kartarpur, Jalandhar, Banga and Nawanshahr before culminating at Anandpur Sahib. Halts will be at Amritsar on November 20 and Jalandhar on November 21.
· Malwa 1 Route: travelling through Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Khanna, Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib, Morinda, Chamkaur Sahib and Ropar. Halts are scheduled at Ludhiana on November 20 and Fatehgarh Sahib on November 21.
· Malwa 2 Route: beginning from Talwandi Sabo, the yatra will pass Bathinda, Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Rajpura, Banur, SAS Nagar, Kurali and Ropar before joining at Anandpur Sahib. Halts are set at Patiala (November 20) and SAS Nagar (November 21).
These four Nagar Kirtans will merge at Sri Anandpur Sahib by November 22, forming one grand congregation that will represent the entire Sikh community and the people of India paying homage to Guru Sahib’s memory.
That a yatra begins from Jammu and involves Kashmiri Pandits is more than ceremonial. It closes a historical circle: the very community that sought the Guru’s help in the seventeenth century will now lead a living tribute. For many, seeing Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits walk together in 2025 will be the clearest statement of the Guru’s universal message.
Sri Anandpur Sahib: three tent cities, drones and mass logistics
Sri Anandpur Sahib will be transformed into the focal point of the commemoration between November 23 and 25. The government plans to erect three large tent cities to accommodate more than 11,000 devotees daily and develop 106 acres of dedicated parking on approach routes. For local mobility, a fleet of 500 e-rickshaws and 100 mini-buses will ferry sangat free of cost within the holy city; in addition, special free bus services will run from every tehsil in Punjab to Anandpur Sahib between November 23 and 25. The state anticipates a massive turnout — officials have spoken of preparations for a sangat that could number in crores over the entire period.
A central visual spectacle will be a 500-drone show at Virasat-e-Khalsa on all three nights of the main event. Organisers call it a first for North India: the drones, choreographed with music and narration, will depict scenes from the Guru’s life and the moral arc of his sacrifice. The inauguration day, November 23, will open with an Arambh of Sri Akhand Path Sahib at 10am, the inauguration of an exhibition on the Guru’s life, the Sarv Dharam Sammelan (inter-faith conclave) and the evening drone show followed by kirtan. The November 24 programme includes a Sheesh Bhenth Nagar Kirtan from Kiratpur Sahib, a heritage walk, cultural performances, Gatka demonstrations and a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha at Bhai Jaita memorial — a session to be held outside Chandigarh and dedicated to the Guru’s legacy. November 25 will see the Bhog of Akhand Path Sahib, statewide blood donation and plantation drives, and the collective Sarbat da Bhala pledge.
Dignitaries, inter-faith voices and civic outreach
The state has invited national and regional dignitaries: the President of India and 20 chief ministers have been asked to attend; Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is expected to join; central figures from civil society and faith traditions — including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and recognised Islamic and Hindu scholars — have been invited to the Sarv Dharam Sammelan. The gathering will include jathedars of the five takhts, SGPC representatives and head granthis from major gurdwaras.
Beyond ceremony, the programme is designed to translate remembrance into action. The government plans youth engagement through seminars and competitions, statewide educational outreach through the 15-day school module, and social drives — blood donation, organ donation pledges, plantation campaigns — timed with the Sri Anandpur Sahib events to give the commemoration a civic purpose.
An emotional return and a contemporary message
At its core, the 350th anniversary is an appeal to memory and moral imagination. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice was an affirmation that the defence of the vulnerable is the highest duty of faith. Three and a half centuries later, the message is urgent: when faith is weaponised, memory must stand as resistance.
The sight of Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Sikhs beginning the yatra in Jammu, of thousands joining from Punjab’s towns and villages, of children in schools learning the story each morning — all of these are expressions of a living memory. The drone lights over Virasat-e-Khalsa, the tent cities that house the pilgrims, the Vidhan Sabha sitting at Bhai Jaita memorial — these are modern instruments to keep a centuries-old promise: that freedom of conscience is a non-negotiable human right.
The state’s emphasis on schools, the decision to run a compulsory educational module, the free transport and tent cities, the inclusion of inter-faith leaders and the Srinagar–Jammu starting point all aim to make this not only a Sikh commemoration but a national moment of reflection. The narrative that began in 1675 with a brave refusal to betray another’s faith will, in November 2025, be told with the tools of the present — exhibitions, light shows, processions and civic pledges — so that the next generation can see, feel and act upon the lesson.
The 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji is designed as both homage and instruction. Punjab’s programme — rigorous in logistics and rich in symbolism — seeks to ensure that the Guru’s stand for others is not a historical footnote but a perennial commitment. From the clandestine courage of Bhai Jaita to the grand convergence at Sri Anandpur Sahib, the arc of remembrance will be long, loud and solemn. The hope is simple: that when the lights dim and the last drone settles, a generation will carry forward a memory that says, in every age, conscience cannot be coerced.
