Happy Gurupurab to all! Here is a glimpse of India as it celebrates the eve of Guru Nanak Jayanti
Happy Gurupurab: Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as ‘Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav’ and ‘Guru Nanak Gurpurab’, marks the significance of the birth of the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak. This day (celebrated like a festival) falls in the month of Kartik (November) according to the Hindu calendar.
Sikhs across the world celebrate birthdays of all of their ten gurus as Gurpurab. Guru Nanak Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. He was the first Sikh Guru who laid the foundation of Sikhism. He was born in 1469 in Talwandi, a village near Lahore. He travelled extensively to spread the message of peace and love. According to Hindu Lunar Calendar, Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on the Purnima (full moon night) of Kartik month. This year, it will be celebrated on November 23.
The celebration of the festival begins two days prior to the Guru Purab. Devotees across the world read the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, in the Gurudwaras which is called Akhand Path. A day before the festival, Sikhs hold processions at several places with a palanquin of the Granth and the flag.
The two-day celebration kick starts with people visiting Gurudwaras to offer prayers. Devotees start reading the 'Akhand Paath' from Guru Granth Sahib at about 4 AM and is a ritual carried on for forty-eight-hours non-stop. Dressed in traditional attires, people pray with pure hearts.
Golden temple in Amritsar is beautifully decorated with lights and flowers. Volunteers organise Langar, a community kitchen hallmark of Sikh faith at Gurudwaras.
Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the the popular festivals in the country. The festival is celebrated with great zeal and zest in Punjab. The sikh religion is widely prevalent in the state and is gazetted holiday in India. All private and governement offices remain closed.
Here is a glimpse of India as it celebrates the eve of Guru Nanak Jayanti:
1. 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
)
Amritsar: Sikh devotees participate in a ''Nagar Kirtan'' procession at Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith, in Amritsar, Thursday, November 22, 2018.
Photo Credits: PTI
2. Devotees gather at the Golden Temple
)
Indian Sikh devotees gather to pay their respects at the Golden Temple on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, in Amritsar on November 22, 2018. Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of ten Sikh Gurus.
Photo Credits: AFP
3. Nagar Kirtan
)
New Delhi: Sikh devotees participate in Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) ahead of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in New Delhi, Thursday, November 22, 2018.
4. Sikh youth demonstrates martial art
)
Indian Sikh youths demonstrate their "gatka" martial arts skills during a procession on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on November 22, 2018. - Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of ten Sikh Gurus.
Photo Credits: Reuters
5. Paper model of Kartarpur Sahib
)
Amritsar: Paper artist Gurpreet Singh shows his creation, a paper model of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's gurudwara (Kartarpur Sahib) in Pakistan, in Amritsar, Thursday, November 22, 2018. The Indian government has given permissions to build a corridor on the Indian side which would felicitate pilgrims to go across the border to pay obeisance at the sacred Sikh shrine.
Photo Credits: PTI
6. 'Gatka' performance
)
Amritsar: Sikh youth performs martial arts ''Gatka'' during a procession at Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in Amritsar, Thursday, November 22, 2018.
Photo Credits: PTI
7. Religious processions
)
Devotees watch a religious procession on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikh faith, in the old quarters of Delhi, India, November 22, 2018.
Photo Credits: Reuters
