Khidrana and the Forty Liberated Ones
Sri Muktsar Sahib, commonly called Muktsar, is a town in Punjab, India, associated with Guru Gobind Singh and the Forty Muktas, or Liberated Ones. A historical account in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s Gurdwara Gazette describes fighting near Khidrana and tells how Sikhs who had previously left the Guru returned and fought there. It recounts the tearing of their earlier written disclaimer as a gesture of reconciliation. The episode is remembered in Sikh prayer and tradition. Historical narratives differ in detail, so the gazette’s account should be read alongside other sources and their interpretations.[1]
The Maghi commemoration
The district census handbook links the town’s name to the Forty Muktas and describes Mela Maghi as an annual commemoration. It also identifies several gurdwaras connected with the battle and remembrance of those who died. The festival is a living religious and social gathering, not only a historical anniversary. The handbook’s account reflects a particular telling of the past and uses the boundaries and institutional information of its own period. Visitors and researchers can learn from the traditions of the local sangat as well as from written records, while checking current arrangements with local authorities.[2]
Town and district
Muktsar is also the headquarters of Sri Muktsar Sahib district. The district administration lists subdivisions including Sri Muktsar Sahib, Malout and Gidderbaha, along with development blocks and towns. The town, subdivision and district cover different areas; a population figure or map for one should not be used as if it described another. The modern administrative setting is one layer of a longer local history that includes agriculture, trade, migration and religious life. Administrative directories offer a useful starting point, but their details can change and do not by themselves describe how all residents experience the place.[3]
The 2011 census counted 116,747 people in Muktsar municipal council. This is the municipality, not the whole tehsil or district.[4]
Sources & notes
Source records include access dates and, where known, limits on what was examined. Checks used AI assistance; independent human or specialist review has not been completed.
- Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Gurdwara Gazette, March 2018 ↗Written source · Source date: 2018 · Locator: Forty Muktas. Accessed 2026-11-03.Selected written source inspected; current site conditions not independently surveyed.Return to Khidrana and the Forty Liberated Ones, paragraph 1 ↑
- Directorate of Census Operations, Punjab. Muktsar District Census Handbook, 2011 ↗Written source · Source date: 2014 · Locator: Muktsar city and Mela Maghi. Accessed 2026-11-03.Selected written source inspected; current site conditions not independently surveyed. The census catalogue dates this handbook edition to 2014; 2011 is the census year.Return to The Maghi commemoration, paragraph 1 ↑
- District Sri Muktsar Sahib. Administrative Setup ↗Written source · Source date: publication date not established · Locator: District subdivisions and headquarters. Accessed 2026-11-03.Selected written source inspected; current site conditions not independently surveyed.Return to Town and district, paragraph 1 ↑
- Directorate of Census Operations, Punjab. Census of India 2011: Muktsar District Census Handbook, Part B ↗Official census primary abstract · Source date: 2014 · Locator: PDF p. 35, District Primary Census Abstract, urban row for Muktsar municipal council; total persons column. Accessed 2026-11-04.The government PDF, column headings and named municipal row were downloaded and read. This count is for 2011 municipal limits, not the district or a present population estimate. On 5 November 2026 a direct request in the checking environment had its connection reset; access can vary.Return to Town and district, paragraph 2 ↑
Record PH-PLA-0123 · English edition · human review not performed