Guru Nanak Jayanti: Celebrate The Birth Of First Sikh Guru With Utmost Devotion & Rejoice
Sikhs all around the world observe a special day as a mark of respect and to celebrate the birthday of the first Sikh guru and this day is known as “Guru Nanak Jayanti” or “Gurpurab”. Celebrated mostly in Punjab and Haryana on a large scale, it falls in the month of November every year. It is said that this guru was responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Guru Nanak, the guru of Sikhs famous proclamation was, “I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim”.
Importance of Guru Nanak Jayanti In The Lives Of The Sikhs :
This year, the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on 25th November and the grand preparation for it has already begun. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was always attracted towards devotion, goodness, spirituality and purity. On this day the Sikh community and other communities who are the follower of Guru Nanak relive his preachings and teachings that are quoted in the sacred book of Guru Granth Sahib.
On the day of the Jayanti, the holy book of Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib is continuously chanted and processions are carried out. In these processions, the holy book is carried out which is all decorated with colorful and scented flowers. The processions are carried out from Gurudwaras and move on to different localities, singing hymns. Devotees offer tea and sweets when the procession passes by their houses.
Celebration of Guru Nanak Jayanti in Golden Temple :
Sikhs wait eagerly for this day when they can pay respect to their guru. On this special day, the Gurdwaras are very nicely decorated with flowers and lightnings. Devotees chant devotional songs from Sikh scriptures throughout the day and remembers about their guru. The Guru Granth Sahib is read for 48 hours, which is known as the “Akhand Path”. The Guru Nanak Jayanti day starts with Prabhat Pheras i.e. the early morning procession.
The Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India is known as the holy place for Sikhs from all around the world. The celebration on the day of the Guru Nanak Jayanti is impressive at the Golden Temple. Surrounded by a lake, the Golden Temple is lit up with twinkling lights. Sikhs in their best of attires visit the temple with their family and friends. Amidst the beautiful landscape, you see Sikhs offer prayers and singing hymns.
Carrying the Sikh flag or the Nishan Sahib, a Palki of the Guru Granth Sahib is carried out by people singing spiritual songs. You will also get to see eye-striking display of swords by the experts and martial arts that will leave you spellbound. Once the procession is over, the “Langar” is served to the people. A Langar is a special lunch organized at the Gurudwaras. The idea behind langar is that people irrespective of the community they belong to are all welcomed.
The Langar at the Golden Temple is world famous. It is open to people from all walks of life. The Langar system was introduced by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji with the aim to eradicate the caste system in the society. One of the greatest feature of Langar system was that men, women and children equally participated in the “Karseva” as a service to the community. All participate in cooking the food and distributing in the “Guru Ka Langar” with the traditional “Karah Prasad”.
So if you wish to witness the grand festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti at the holy Golden temple, Visit Amritsar in pocket-friendly way by booking tickets in advance. Surely, the sight of the temple will be a once in a lifetime kind of experience.
