About Maghi Mela

Context:

Recently Maghi Mela was held in the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab.

Relevance:

GS I: Festivals, Facts for Prelims

Dimensions of the Article:

1. About Maghi Mela
2. Nanakshahi Calendar

About Maghi Mela:

• Maghi Mela is held every year in January or the month of Magh according to the Nanakshahi calendar.
• It is celebrated in memory of 40 Sikh warriors who fought the Mughals in the battle of Khidrana, which was named Muktsar after the battle.
• The battle took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhabi, on 29 December 1705.
• The bodies of the warriors were cremated the following day, the first of Magh (hence the name of the festival), which now falls usually on the 13th of January.
• Sikhs celebrate Maghi with an end-to-end recital of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and religious rituals in all the Sikh Gurudwaras.

Nanakshahi Calendar

• The Nanakshahi calendar was designed by Sikh scholar Pal Singh Purewal to replace the Bikrami calendar, to work out the dates of gurpurab and other festivals.
• It is used to determine the dates of Sikh festivals and commemorations.

-Source: Indian Express