Talk:Haqīqat Rāī Pūrī

By Vishal Agarwal

In the early 18th century C.E., in the city of Siālkot (now in Pakistan), a teenage boy named Haqīqat Rāī Pūrī (born 1724 to Durgā Devī and Bhagmal) was playing with his Muslim friends. Suddenly, one friend began to taunt him over his Hindu Dharm and ridiculed the Devī. Haqīqat Rāī warned him not to speak another abusive word against the Devī, but the taunting continued. Angered, Haqīqat Rāī retaliated with an abusive comment against the daughter of Prophet Muḥammad.

The word of this quarrel reached the Qāzī (Muslim magistrate) of Siālkot. Haqīqat Rāī was summoned to Lahaur, and upon confessing his words, he was given a choice by the provincial governor: convert to Islām or face execution.

His parents rushed to the court and begged their teenage son to save his life by converting. They reminded him of his recent marriage and that his wife would be widowed. But Haqīqat Rāī firmly refused to abandon his dharm. As a result, he was executed on the day of the Basant Pañcamī festival (20 January 1735).

It is said that his blood-soaked garments turned a deep saffron-red (basantī), inspiring later the famous Punjabi song *“Merā raṅg de basantī cholā”* which became a rallying cry for Indian freedom fighters like Bhagat Siṅgh.

The incident created a great stir among Hindus of the region. A samādhi (mausoleum) was constructed at the site of his funeral. In his memory, the Hindus of Lahaur began the tradition of kite-flying on Basant Pañcamī. The festival soon became popular, accompanied by a large annual fair commemorating the brave Hindu youth who gave his life but not his faith.

Today, even though no Hindus remain in Lahaur, the Basant kite-flying festival is still celebrated, though the local Muslims no longer pay homage at Haqīqat Rāī’s samādhi. His wife lived several years after his martyrdom and was cremated at Baṭālā (now in India). A shrine now stands at her samādhi in memory of Haqīqat Rāī.