October 26 is a quiet, powerful day for Sikhs who mark the Joti Jot of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji – the moment when a fierce teacher, poet, and protector passed beyond the horizon of this life and whose spirit continues to guide millions. The day isn’t a festival of fireworks; it’s a time to sit with stories that are at once brave and tender, to remember a leader who asked people to live with courage, dignity, and faith, and to let those stories shape how we act in ordinary life.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a rare combination of soul and sword: a spiritual guide who also stood in the gap when people were threatened. He reorganized the Sikh community as the Khalsa, giving it a clear identity and a code that married devotion to God with responsibility to protect the weak. He wrote and spoke with fire and poetry, and he expected his community not only to pray but also to build schools, feed the hungry, and defend justice. His life shows that devotion and action can – and should – live together.
On Joti Jot, the best remembrances are not only about heroic stories but about the values behind them. People recall how the Guru taught equality, how he welcomed women and men to full participation, and how he insisted that leadership must be earned through service, not privilege. Those lessons have kept the community grounded across generations: courage without cruelty, strength used to shelter others, and faith that fuels daily acts of kindness.
The rituals of the day are simple and deep. In gurdwaras the Guru Granth Sahib is honoured with kirtan and the reading of scripture; families and neighbours gather to share meals and stories; elders tell children about the Guru’s words and the choices he made in hard times. Those practices are not choreography – they’re ways of passing values from life to life, so the next generation can recognize what courage and compassion look like in practice.
There is also a somber note that runs through these remembrances. Guru Gobind Singh Ji faced loss and saw beloved ones martyred in conflict; those losses shaped his teachings about sacrifice and resolve. Yet even in grief he modeled dignity: he wrote letters and poems that addressed truth to power, he organized communities so they could stand together, and he asked his followers to carry forward the work of justice. Remembering that side of his life invites us to hold both pain and purpose: to grieve what was lost and to turn that grief into renewed care for others.
For anyone observing Joti Jot, the day offers a practical challenge: how will I live these lessons tomorrow? It might mean speaking up for someone who is bullied, volunteering time at a community kitchen, teaching a child a line of a shabad, or simply choosing humility over pride in an ordinary conversation. The Guru’s legacy isn’t meant to be sealed in books; it’s meant to be lived in gestures that protect dignity and widen welcome.
On October 26, whether in a crowded gurdwara or a quiet room with a line of scripture in your hand, the invitation is the same: remember a teacher who wanted his people to be brave and kind, and let that memory move you into the world a little differently – firmer in justice, softer in mercy, steadier in faith.
