Battle of Muktsar


The Battle of Muktsar or Battle of Khidrāne Dee Dhāb took place on 29 December 1705, following the siege of Anandpur. In 1704, Anandpur was under an extended siege by the allied forces of the Mughals and the hill chiefs.
During the siege 40 men of the Sidhu clan, led by Bhai Maha Singh, wrote letters of bedava to Guru Gobind Singh. They arrived in the village of Jhabal where a Sikh woman named Mai Bhago, upon hearing their tale of desertion, motivated them into returning to Guru Ji at Anandpur Sahib.
The 40 deserters with Mai Bhago returned to seek out Guru Gobind Singh, and joined him near Khidrāne Dee Dhāb preparing for battle against the Mughals. They fought, defeated the Mughals and died in the following battle. The guru, finding the dying Maha Singh on the battlefield after the battle, forgave him and his compatriots, tore up their letters of bedava, and blessed them for their service. The place was later renamed Muktsar, literally meaning The Pool of Liberation. Mai Bhago survived the battle and stayed on with Guru Gobind Singh Ji as one of his bodyguards. The Mela Maghi is held at the holy city of Muktsar Sahib every year in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs.