Chalih Mukte means forty immortals. These words refer to a band of 40 soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect Guru Gobind Singh, one of the Sikh gurus. They are important figures in Sikh history. They have been made immortal in the various prayers uttered by a Sikh person. These prayers contain their special mention.
The band of forty soldiers had in an earlier instance deserted Guru Gobind Singh. They later on repented their act and joined force with the guru’s army. In a battle fought on 14 January 1762 between the Mughal army and the Sikhs, this band fought with valor and lost their life in the process. The Sikh guru, who watched them die fighting, praised their bravery and blessed them with immortal status. The place where this battle took place was called Khidrana. After the battle this place was named Muktsar, which literally means ‘the pool of liberation,’ to commemorate the martyrdom of the soldiers.
