The Battle of Sri Muktsar Sahib (Muktsar) or Battle of Khidrāne Dee Dhāb took place on 29 December 1705, (29

Poh Poh ( pa, ਪੋਹ, ) is the tenth month of the Nanakshahi calendar, which governs the activities within Sikhism. This month coincides with Pausha in the Hindu calendar and the Indian national calendar, and December and January in the Gregorian ...

) following the siege of Anandpur Sahib. In 1704, Anandpur Sahib was under an extended siege by the allied forces of the Mughals and the hill chiefs. During the siege 40 Sikhs, led by Maha Singh, wrote letters of ''bedava'' (abandonment of a Sikh from his Guru) to

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

ji. They arrived in the village of

Jhabal Chabhal Kalan (also known as Jhabal Kalan) is a town in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, India and is located away from Amritsar city. Description The neighboring villages are Chabhal Khurd, Thathi, Sohal, Sarai Amanat Khan Nurdin, Lalu G ...

where a Sikh woman named

Mai Bhago Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur, was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She was an exceptionally skilled warrior on the battlefield and is revered as a warrior saint in Sikhism. She was known for rallying t ...

, 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 ji, and joined him near ''Khidrāne Dee Dhāb'' preparing for battle against the Mughals. They fought 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 Sri Muktsar Sahib (/ʃriː ˈmʊktsər saːhɪb/) (often referred to as Muktsar (/ˈmʊktsər/)) is a historical city and district headquarters in Punjab, India. The 2011 Census of India put the total population of Sri Muktsar Sahib municipality ...

, 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 Maghi da Mela ( Punjabi: ਮਾਘੀ ਦਾ ਮੇਲਾ ), held at the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib each year in January or the month of ''Magh'' according to Nanakshahi calendar and it is one of the most important melas or fairs of India a ...

is held at the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib every year in memory of the forty Sikh martyrs.

References

{{Guru Gobind Singh History of Sikhism Conflicts in 1705

Mukhtsar