Guru Nanak Jayanti also known as Gurupurab and Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav. It is the celebration of the first Sikh guru’s birthday. Guru Nanak or Guru Nanak Dev Ji as they are called by the Sikh people is the founder of the religion called Sikhism. Guru Nanak is one of the most decorated gurus of the Sikh religion. This festival is highly sacred and auspicious. Guru Nanak Jayanti The festivities of the Sikh religion are the birth anniversaries of their 10 Gurus and they are known as Gurupurab. This festival is the occasion of prayers among the Sikh community.
• Legend
According to the Vikram Samvat calendar, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi, what is now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, on the Puranmashi of Kattak in 1469. In India, it is a gazetted holiday. Guru Nanak is said to have been born on the Full Moon (Pooranmashi) of the Indian lunar month Kartik, according to the contentious Bhai Bala Janamsakhi. This is why the Sikhs celebrated Guru Nanak’s Gurpurab in November, and it has been embedded in Sikh tradition. Guru Nanak dev Ji met Kabir Saheb on the Bein River in Sultanpur, Punjab, and he served as his guru.
According to the original Nanakshahi Calendar adopted by Sri Akal Takht in 2003, Vaisakhi, which falls on 14 April, is when some academics and groups feel the Birthday should be honoured. Guru Nanak Jayanti is of utmost importance for Sikhs. Many individuals and groups prefer to observe the customary date, which is the Full Moon Day (Pooranmashi or Purnima) of the lunar month Kartik. Due to requests from many Sikh Saints, the traditional Nanakshahi Calendar upholds the custom and observes it on Kartik Purnima.
Importance Of Guru Nanak Jayanti
According to Guru Nanak Dev, anyone can have a spiritual connection to God if they worship with integrity. Animal sacrifice rites were forbidden by him. The Guru Granth Sahib includes his teachings.
• The Festival And Celebration
The celebration is generally similar for all Sikhs; only the hymns are different. The celebrations usually commence with Prabhat Pheris. Guru Nanak Jayanti Prabhat Pheris are early morning processions that begin at the Gurudwaras and proceed around the localities singing hymns. Generally, two days before the birthday, Akhand Path (a forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs) is held in the Gurdwaras.
Known as Nagarkirtan, a parade is planned the day before the birthday. The Panj Pyaras are in charge of this procession (Five Beloved Ones). They lead the parade while carrying the Nishan Sahib and Palki (Palanquin) of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh flag. Guru Nanak Jayanti Teams of singers performing hymns and followers singing the chorus follow them. Brass bands play a variety of music, and “Gatka” teams use traditional weaponry to stage simulated battles and demonstrate their swordsmanship through a variety of martial arts. The town’s streets are overrun by the procession.
For this important event, the pathway is decorated with banners, and the gates are adorned with flags and flowers. disseminating Guru Nanak’s message through the leaders.
The celebrations start early in the morning on Gurpurab day, between 4 and 5 a.m. Amrit Vela is the name given to this hour of the day. Guru Nanak Jayanti When the day starts, Asaa-Ki-Vaar is sung (morning hymns). Any combination of Kirtan (hymns from the Sikh scriptures) and Katha (exposition of the scripture) are then performed in honour of the Guru.
The Langar, a special community lunch that is organised at the Gurudwaras by volunteers, comes next. Everyone should be provided with food in the spirit of Seva (service) and bhakti, regardless of gender, caste, class, or religion, according to the philosophy behind the free community lunch (devotion).
Some Gurudwaras also have night prayer sessions, which start with the recitation of Rehras (evening prayer) at sunset and continue with Kirtan till late at night. Around twenty in the morning, the assembly begins chanting Gurbani, which commemorates Guru Nanak’s real birth time. The party comes to an end at about two in the morning.
One of the most significant festivals in the Sikh calendar, Guru Nanak Gurpurab is observed by the Sikh community around the world. The festivities are particularly vibrant in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and many other places, including in some areas of Pakistan and England. Guru Nanak Jayanti. This event is observed by some Sindhis as well. The Punjab government has stated that in honour of the auspicious day, 11 universities will receive chairs honouring the great saint. The declaration was made on November 11, 2019.
• Public Holiday
Guru Nanak Jayanti is a public holiday in the following states :
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal
Get daily updates and trendy news to enhance your knowledge with every topic covered. Including fashion, technology, current affairs, travel news, health-related news, sports news, Business, Political News, and many more.
For more information visit Live News Dekho