PM Modi makes surprise visit, pays tribute to Guru Teg Bahduri

New Delhi, Dec 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sabhib today.

The PM during his surprise visit paid tribute to Guru Teg Bahadur for his supreme sacrifice. PM Modi bowed his head and paid tributes to the supreme sacrifice made by Teg Bahadur.

During the visit there was no police bandobast or traffic barriers. This meant that the common man faced no problems during the PM's visit.The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi.

It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh Dhaliwal (1730-1802) captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, led to the construction of several Sikh religious shrines within the city.

This one marks the site of cremation of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, after his martyrdom in November 1675 for saving Hindu Kashmiri Pandits, under orders of Aurangzeb. The Gurudwara Sahib is built near old Raisina village near Raisina Hill, at present Pandit Pant Marg, took 12 years to build.

Prior to that, a mosque had been built near the spot; eventually later Mughal emperor Shah Alam II gave the permission to build a Gurdwara sahib there.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He was born at Amritsar in 1621 and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind. His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675. One hundred and fifteen of his hymns are in Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom Day is also observed as Shaheed Diwas every year on November 24. On this day in April 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur was publicly executed on the orders of Aurangzeb because he had opposed religious persecution. Guru Tegh Bahadur - the ninth of the ten Gurus of the Sikhism - was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind.