Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom (1675): After Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for defending religious freedom, his headless body remained unclaimed.

Heroic sacrifice: Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara and his son Bhai Naghaiya secretly transported the body home and cremated it by setting the house ablaze—to avoid detection and honor the Guru.

Sikh reclamation: Under Sikh military leader Baghel Singh, a mosque previously built on the site was removed (with permission from Shah Alam II) to reveal Guru Sahib’s ashes, and in 1783, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib was constructed at the cremation spot.