Barack Obama greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak Jayanti

US President Barack Obama on Thursday greeted Sikhs around the world on the birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak Dev, saying the community enriches the American life every day.

"I want to congratulate our Sikh friends in the United States and around the world on the anniversary of the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji," Obama said in a statement. "During his lifetime in the 14th and 15th centuries, Guru Nanak travelled throughout the region and world promoting equality, diversity, compassion, and tolerance, which became the core principles of Sikhism," he said.

"The Sikh American community enriches the United States every day with its embodiment of these values, which are shared not just by Sikhs but by all Americans," Obama said.