Guru Tegh Bahadur is revered as the ninth Guru of the Sikh faith. Youngest of the five sons of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the Sikhs, he was born at Amritsar on April 1, 1621. For over two decades he had lived in seclusion and meditation when, in 1661, he was anointed the ninth spiritual successor to Guru Nanak.

In 1665, Guru Tegh Bahadur founded in the foothills of Shivaliks a town which came to be known as Anandpur. This town became the fountain-head of a regenerating inspiration and  scene of memorable deeds of sacrifice and daring. Guru Tegh Bahaqur travelled extensively across the country spreading his message of love, faith and universal brotherhood. One of his journey took him as far as Assam in the East. He was sensitive to the people's sufferings and taught them to be fearless.

Guru Tegh Bahadur assumed the Apostolic Office when the country was experiencing growing religious intolerance and  persecution. He felt deeply the need to do something to ameliorate the situation and to bring harmony to the land torn by conflict. Soon after, some leading Brahmins of Kashmir came  in  a  deputation  to  Guru  Tegh Bahadur to seek his help and protection. His youngest son who later became Guru Gobind Singh also pleaded the case of the depressed people. Guru Tegh Bahadur then offered to sacrifice himself to defend the oppressed. He resolved to go to Delhi to create among the people the spirit of courage and boldness.

While he was on his way, Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested and taken to Delhi where he was put in an iron cage and asked to perform some miracles and prove the divinity of hi mission or otherwise to abandon his faith. He declined to show any miracle saying that it was not proper to  intervene  in the Will of God. On November 11, 1675, he was beheaded in public in the Chandni Chowk in Delhi. This was a most moving event in the history of India.

Guru Tegh Bahadur symbolised in his life the noblest values of moral courage, self-sacrifice and tolerance. Guru Tegh Bahadur had a deep spiritual insight and his compositions are preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scripture.

The Posts and Telegraphs Department is honoured to issue a special commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of the tercentenary of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The stamp depicts Gurdwara Sisganj in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, where his martyrdom took place.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India