Saga of bravery of 21 Sikhs, at Saragarhi battle was one of the most daring feats of gallantry and devotion to duty 

Saragarhi massacre is a unique story of sacrifice and matchless example of bravery who were honoured with highest award of Indian Order of Merit and having no example in the history of the world, in which 21 soldiers of 4 Sikh Regiment, who sacrificed their life on 12 September 1897 at Saragarhi. The saga of bravery at Saragarh battle was one of the most daring feats of gallantry and devotion to duty.

Saragarh memorial gurudawars were established at Kesari Bagh Amritsar and Feroepur as majority of the 21 Sikh soldiers were from Ferozepur and Amritsar.

The Saragarhi Gurudawara was built at a cost of Rs.27,118 on collection from the people in 1902 and was inaugurated on January 18,1904 by Lt. Gov. Sir Charles Montgomeri Riwaz of the then Punjab.

In Ferozepur, every year celebrations are organized at the historical gurudawara on September 12 to pay tributes to the martyrs. Those who sacrificed their lives in the Saragarhi war were- Hav Ishwar Singh, Nk Lakh Singh, L/Nk Chanda Singh, Sepoy Sudh Singh, Sahib Singh, Uttam Singh, Narain Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Jiwan Singh, Ram Singh, Hir Singh, Dayia Singh, Bhola Singh, Jiwan Singh, Gurmukh Singh,Bhagwan Singh, RamSingh Boota Singh, Jiwan Singh, Anand Singh and Bhgwan Singh.

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought during the Tirah Campaign on September 12, 1897 between 21 Sikhs of the 4th Battalion (then, the “36th Sikhs”) of the Sikh Regiment of British India, defending an army post against 15 to 20 thousand Afghan and Orakzai tribesmen in a last stand. The Battle at Saragarhi is one of eight stories of the greatest examples of collective bravery in world history, as identified by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

On 12 September 1897, 10,000 Pashtuns attacked the signaling post at Saragarhi, so that communication would be lost between the two forts.

“The Government of India have caused this tablet to be erected to the memory of the twenty one non-commissioned officers and men of the 36 Sikh Regiment of the Bengal Infantry whose names are engraved below as a perpetual record of the heroism shown by these gallant soldiers who died at their posts in the defence of the fort of Saragarhi, on the 12 September 1897, fighting against overwhelming numbers, thus proving their loyalty and devotion to their sovereign, The Queen Empress of India, and gloriously maintaining the reputation of the Sikhs for unflinching courage on the field of battle.”

All the 21 Sikh non-commissioned officers and soldiers of other ranks who laid down their lives in the Battle of Saragarhi were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award of that time, which an Indian soldier could receive by the hands of the British crown, the corresponding gallantry award being Victoria Cross. This award is equivalent to today’s Param Vir Chakra, awarded by the President of India. They were all born in Majha region of Punjab.