Maghi Mela is organised each year on Makar Sankranti to honour the memory of the forty Sikh warriors killed during the Battle of Muktsar in 1705. Maghi Mela is held in January or in the month of Magh according to Nanakshahi calendar. Muktsar, originally called Khidrana, was named as Muktsar (“the pool of liberation”) after the battle by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru.
According to Sikh history, in Bikrami Samvat 1761, Guru Gobind Singh was fighting a war with Mughal forces at Anandpur Sahib Fort and ration-water was running out.
These 40 Sikh warriors, led by Mahan Singh, requested the Guru that they could not fight without food or water. Guru Gobind told them that if they wanted to go, then they should write a memorandum declaring that they are not his disciples. The distraught warriors wrote it down and returned to their homes.
A few days later, the Guru left the Anandpur Sahib Fort and marched to Chamkaur Sahib, where Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh were fighting the Mughal forces. After this, Guru Gobind Singh reached Khidrana and set up a camp there.
On the other hand, when the 40 soldiers reached home, their family members told them that they should not have left the Guru in the time of trouble. When Mai Bhago, heard of this cowardly act, she scolded them and inspired them with spirit of bravery. Hearing the taunts of the families, they went out in search of the Guru under the leadership of Mai Bhago.
While searching for Guru, they reached Khidrana (now Muktsar) and seeing a reservoir, they set up their camp. At the same time, the Mughal army also came there and saw the clothes of the warriors drying. Guessing that the Guru’s army had set up camp, the Mughal army attacked the 40 soldiers. All forty of them attained martyrdom.
At the end of the battle, Guru Gobind reached the battle sight and saw Mahan Singh lying on the ground, suffering from severe injuries. The Guru kept the soldiers head on his lap and said, “You all have saved the pride of Sikhism. Therefore, whatever you want, ask me.”
Bhai Mahan Singh made a final request to the Guru that he wants nothing more, just to tear off the piece of paper written by them and forgiveness. On this, the memorandum (bedawa) was torn-down by the Guru himself just before Mahan Singh died.
The Guru said that Khidrana is not a place of abduction but of liberation and the people who will visit this pilgrimage site will get liberation. Since then, Khirdane ki Dhab is known as Muktsar. Later, Guru Gobind collected the dead bodies of all the warriors and prepared a huge funeral pyre, cremating them himself. The place where the Guru cremated the dead body of the 40 warriors is now located at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib.
