Bandi Chhor Divas was formally adopted into which Sikh calendar in 2003?

Bandi Chhor Divas was formally adopted into the Nanakshahi calendar in 2003.

The observance honors the release of Guru Hargobind from detention at Gwalior Fort. Sikh tradition says the Mughal emperor Jahangir agreed to release the Guru along with 52 detained princes, who were allowed to leave by holding onto the Guru’s robe. The episode gives the celebration its name, commonly translated as “Day of Liberation.”

Bandi Chhor Divas often coincides with Diwali and is marked by illumination, prayers, kirtan, processions and community meals at gurdwaras. The two celebrations are related in timing but have different religious histories and meanings.

In 2003, Sikh religious authorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee incorporated the observance into the Nanakshahi calendar. The calendar’s history later became controversial: some festival dates remained tied to the older Bikrami lunar system, and different Sikh communities use different calendar versions. That debate does not change the answer to the 2003 adoption question.