Bandi Chhor Divas 2026
Bandi Chhor Divas is listed as Sunday, 8 November 2026 (23 Katak) on the SGPC / Akal Takht calendar published by SikhNet for Nanakshahi Samat 558.
ਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ
The 2026 date
SGPC / Harmandir Sahib: Sunday, 8 November 2026 — 23 Katak.
Bandi Chhor Divas commemorates Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji’s release from Gwalior Fort, and the fifty-two rajas who walked free with him.
The day often coincides with Diwali. Gurdwaras are lit with lamps. It remembers the Guru’s release — it is not Diwali under another name.
Confirm the diwan and lighting with your local gurdwara.
History
Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, the sixth Guru, was detained at Gwalior Fort under Mughal authority. Sikh tradition records that he refused to leave unless the other prisoners — conventionally numbered fifty-two rajas — were also freed.
Each raja is said to have held a tassel of the Guru’s cloak as they walked out. That image is why the day is called Bandi Chhor — “liberator of prisoners.”
The return to Amritsar is remembered with lamps at Harmandir Sahib. The coincidence with Diwali is historical, not a blending of the two commemorations.
Significance
The day marks freedom from unjust detention and the Guru’s insistence that others leave with him.
Harmandir Sahib is illuminated. Sangats worldwide light lamps and hold kirtan. Local hours are set by each gurdwara.
How it is observed
Gurdwaras hold kirtan and katha of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, and langar is served.
Many buildings are lit with lamps or lights in the evening. Fireworks, where used, are a local custom — not a requirement of the observance.
This page does not invent service times. Confirm with a listing near you.
Sources
- SikhNet — Sikh Gurpurab Calendar, Nanakshahi Samat 558 (2026–27) (retrieved 2026-10-11).