Guru Nanak Jayanti being celebrated
30 November 2021, 06:50 pm | Updated: 24 November 2024, 10:18 am
Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti, the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak is being celebrated on November 30 this year.
It is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism. (Source: National Today)
In the Sikh faith, festivities revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh gurus. These gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs.
Their birthdays, known as ‘Gurpurab’, are occasions for celebration and prayer among the community. Guru Nanak Jayanti is marked with prayer processions, hymns, free sweets, martial arts (‘Gatka’), as well as services to the community.
On April 15, 1469, Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born at Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi, near Lahore, which is the modern-day Sekhpura district of Pakistan. A Gurudwara was built on his birthplace and the city is also known as Nankana Sahib and is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is regarded as a spiritual teacher who founded Sikhism in the 15th century. He started writing the Guru Granth Sahib and wrote 974 hymns in it.