SHAHEED HAQIQAT RAI JI

Basanti means yellow colour and panchmi means the fifth day of the bright half of the
lunar month. Being ignorant about the origin and background of Basant Panchmi, in
general people consider it a socio-cultural festival and celebrate it with great pomp and
show.
There is difference of opinion among the historians about the date of birth and life span
of Haqiqat Rai Ji. According to The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Vol II, 1996 Haqiqat Rai Ji
was born in 1724 and martyred in 1742. However, according to Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
(Mahan Kosh, 1930) he was born in 1724 and was martyred in 1741. Some historians think
that he was born in 1720 and martyred in 1734. There is no use going into the controversy
about his date of birth and date of martyrdom. It is sufficient to state that he was a brave
and devout young Sikh boy who was martyred mercilessly for his belief of Sikh faith.
Haqiqat Rai Ji son of Sri Bagh Mal Puri Ji and Bibi Gauran Ji was born in a Sikh Khatri family
of Sialkot (now in Pakistan). Thus, Haqiqat Rai Ji was born in 1724 and was Sikh Khatri by
birth. All the members of his family were devoted Sikhs. He was married to Bibi Durga
Devi Ji daughter of S. Kishan Singh Uppal Ji, Sehajdhari Sikh of Batala, District Gurdaspur,
Punjab.

As per historical evidence in 1660 when Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji (1630-1661), the Seventh
Guru of the Sikhs was on his way to Kashmir, he celebrated Baisakhi in Sialkot. At that time Sri Nand Lal Puri Ji, the grandfather of Haqiqat Rai Ji took his three sons Mangal Singh Ji, Bagh Mal Ji and Bhag Mal Ji to pay obeisance to Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji.

Thus, from early childhood Haqiqat Rai Ji became a devout Sikh. His marriage with a Sikh
girl Bibi Durga Devi Ji further instilled religious fervour in him. He also got influenced by
Bhai Budh Singh Ji of Batala and from him he learned the principles of Sikhism.
As a young boy, Haqiqat Rai Ji joined a makatab (a Muslim school) to study Persian and
Arabic. An incident which took place during this time became a turning point in his life.
Some of his Muslim classmates made contemptuous remarks about Hindu gods and
goddesses. He retaliated by saying that if such derogatory remarks were made about
some honourable persons in Islam, how would they feel? For making this statement the
local qazi charged him with disrespectful behaviour against Islam. The local qazi sent the
case to the chief qazi at Lahore. Escorted by police Haqiqat Rai Ji was taken to Lahore
where he was put under trial. At the end of the trial, he was labeled as guilty and was given
a choice to get converted to Islam or choose death. Rather than changing his religion he
chose death sentence. In addition to his parents, several renowned citizens of Lahore
pleaded for mercy on the young boy aged 18 years but the Governor Zakariya Khan and
his minister Lakhpat Rai remained firm in their decision. Haqiqat Rai Ji remained equally
firm in his resolution not to change his religion. As per the orders of Zakariya Khan, he was
tied to a pillar and beaten up with a cane severally and mercilessly and then on January
29, 1742, which was the Basant Panchmi day, he was executed. According to the Panth
Prakash (1970), the Sikhs fell on the qazi who had pronounced the verdict against Haqiqat
Rai Ji. They captured him and severed his head from his body. The execution of Haqiqat
Rai Ji on Basant Panchmi added a religious meaning to Basant Panchmi for the Sikhs. His
body was cremated near the mausoleum of Shah Bilaval a place 3 km, east of Lahore.
Thousands of pilgrims started paying their homage to this young martyr at the place of his
cremation every year on the Basant Panchmi day. In 1947, after the partition of the
country Lahore became a part of Pakistan and thus the access of the pilgrims to the place
of Martyrdom became very difficult.

The martyrdom of Haqiqat Rai Ji in 1742 a Sikh sacrificing his life for maintaining
respect for Hindu gods and goddesses, being executed by a Muslim ruler, is an
incident of its own kind, which has no parallel in history.
After the martyrdom of Haqiqat Rai Ji the Basanti colour i.e. yellow colour came to be
associated with martyrdom and sacrifice for a cause.

The ear catching song of Ram Parshad Bismal in the tradition of Rajput soldiers who left
their homes to court death ‘mera rang de Basanti chola, nee maein mera rang de Basanti
chola’ (dye my dress of yellow colour, O! mine mother dye my dress of yellow colour)

became very popular. It is believed that Shaheed Bhagat Singh Ji’s who sacrificed his life
for the freedom of the country adopted this song to get inspiration.
In Punjab Basant Panchmi is especially observed at two places:
(i) Gurdwara Sri Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Patiala, Punjab. This Gurdwara Sahib has
been constructed to commemorate the visit of the Ninth Guru of the Sikhs, Sri
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. At this Gurdwara on every Panchmi pilgrims take a dip
in the holy water of the sarovar but a dip in the holy water of the sarovar on Basant
Panchmi is considered very auspicious.

(ii) Gurdwara Chheharta Sahib, Chheharta is located 7 km west of Amritsar City,
District Amritsar, Punjab. This Gurdwara Sahib is named after a huge well got sunk
by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606) the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. This well is so wide
that six persian wheels are installed around it to operate simultaneously. The
name Chheharta is indicative of the fact that ‘Chhe’ means ‘six’ and ‘hart’ means
‘Persian wheel’. Thus, Chheharta means having six Persian wheels.
In the case of both of these Gurdwaras during every month the pilgrims visit the Gurdwara
Sahib on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month but special importance is given
to Basant Panchmi which falls in the month of Magha and thousands of pilgrims visit
these Gurdwaras on this day to pay their obeisance.

Haqiqat Rai Ji’s body was cremated near the mausoleum of Shah Biland, 3 km east of
Lahore. On this site a shrine was built and the pilgrims came the year around to pay
homage to the memory of this young martyr. Basant Panchmi day is then observed as
Haqiqat Rai Ji’s martyrdom day. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had special reverence for
Haqiqat Rai Ji and sometimes called his darbars in its precincts.

Haqiqat Rai Ji was the first victim of blasphemy law in India. It is said that Shaheed Bhagat
Singh Ji got inspiration from the song “mera rang de Basanti Chola, Maein ne mera rang
de basanti chola”. This song was sung by the prisoners around the time of Shaheed
Bhagat Singh Ji’s martyrdom on March 23, 1931. The soldiers leaving for fight used to sing
this song. This song was sung in the film Shaheed (1965). This song was scribed by Pandit
Ram Prasad Bismal Ji along with his friends and the lyricist Prem Dhawan of Ambala sang
it.

Thus, Basant Panchmi is not a socio-cultural festival but the execution day of
Haqiqat Rai Ji. This year i.e., in 2025, 283rd Martyrdom Anniversary of Shaheed
Haqiqat Rai Ji falls on February 2. On this day the Sikh Sangat all over the world will
pay its homage to the brave and steadfast Shaheed Haqiqat Rai Ji.
DHAN DHAN SHAHEED HAQIQAT RAI JI