GURU NANAK JAYANTI | GURPURAB | DIVA INDIA

GURU NANAK JAYANTI

Guru Nanak Jayanti ranks one of the popular festivals in India. It is celebrated at the birth of Guru Nanak Sahib in the state of Punjab celebration is famous where the Sikh religion. Punjabi communities in other states also celebrate the festival. The birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib mostly comes on Kartik Puranmashi which is the full moon day of the month Kartik according to the Indian calendar.

Guru Nanak Jayanti is a time for happiness and fun, but the festival also brings attention to the teachings of Guru Nanak.  Guru Nanak Jayanti Festival is usually a three day festival. Two days prior to the birthday, Akhand Path is held in the Gurudwaras. It is the practice of forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, the religious book of the Sikh religion. On the day before the birthday of Guru Nanak Jayanti, people organize a procession which is led by the Panj Pyaras. The Sikh flag, known as the Nishan Sahib and the Palanquin of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are carried in the procession. A group of singers participate in the procession and song hymns along with brass bands. Almost in all parts of Punjab, processions are held.

On the day of the Guru Nanak Jayanti, people get up early in the morning and sing Asa-di-Var or the morning hymns from the Sikh scriptures. Priests recite poems in praise of the Guru in the Gurudwaras. In the afternoon, Langar or special community lunch is prepared and people eat these together with family members and friends. The main objective of this lunch is to offer food as a form of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). People also perform 'Gatka', which is a type of marshal art with the sword. Devotees and pilgrims sing holy songs in praise of the Guru.

Places to be visit -

Golden Temple, Amritsar

The Golden Temple is considered to be the holiest place of worship in Sikhism. The founder of this gurudwara is Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs. As a gesture of respect towards all the religions, Guru Arjan Das requested the Muslim Sufi saint, Hazrat Mian Mir, to lay the foundation stone of the gurudwara. It is unique for the four doors it has, which signify that people from all backgrounds are welcome to offer prayers there. It also stands out for the golden architecture and the massive community kitchen that runs to feed hundreds and thousands of visitors daily.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, as the name denotes, was a bungalow owned by an Indian king, Raja Jai Singh, and was called the Jaisinghpura Palace. It was located in Jaisingh Pura, an erstwhile historic neighbourhood that was wiped off the map to construct the famous shopping and commercial district currently known as Connaught Place.

This gurudwara has been associated with the eight guru of the Sikhs, Guru Har Kishan. It was originally made as a shrine with small dimensions by Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783. A pool of water inside the gurudwara complex is known for its healing properties. Several devout followers and visitors take a dip in the waters or wash their face or drink the water of the sarovar out of sheer devotion. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist places in Delhi.

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Leh-Kargil Road

This gurudwara has been built to commemorate an amazing event related to Guru Nanak, showing his might and dominance over evil forces. Located 25 miles away from Leh, on the Leh-Kargil road, the gurudwara was constructed in 1517. Legend has it that once there lived a terrible demon that used to torture the people in the area, where the gurudwara is currently located. When people prayed for help, Guru Nanak went to the region at God’s behest and started living in that area and even held discourses to enlighten the masses from the clutch of ignorance.

Soon, Guru Nanak struck a chord with the people and won their trust. Consequently, the demon could not tolerate this and made a vain attempt to kill the guru by throwing a huge boulder at him while the latter was meditating. The boulder, however, melted like a wax as soon as it touched the body of Guru Nanak, and the imprint of his body got engraved on the boulder. Yet again, the frustrated demon tried kicking the boulder with his feet to kill Guru Nanak, but he failed once more. Finally, he gave up and begged forgiveness from the holy saint and started leading a noble life thereon. The local lamas address Guru Nanak as Nanak Lama and revere him deeply.

The gurudwara houses the rock that has imprints of both Nanak ji and the demon’s foot, and it is currently looked after by the Indian army. Like any gurudwara, Pathar Sahib also holds regular langars to feed the devotees.

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