Omkar Dattatray
India is a land of different cultures, traditions and festivals so different festivals are celebrated by the people with great pomp and show. In these festivals unity in diversity is demonstrated which is the characteristic feature of the Indian nation. Thus the people of various faiths jointly celebrate these festivals and one such festival is the Jayanti of Guru Nanak Devji which is commonly known as the ‘Gurupurab’. This auspicious day marks the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak. Gurupurab is the most sacred festival in Sikhism and it is celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the country & even abroad with great fervor and gaiety. On this important occasion of the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, the message of the brotherhood and communal harmony as given by the Guru Nanak is spread throughout the country. Guru Nanak was born on Puranmashi of Kartik in the year 1469 according to Bikrami calendar. As per Bhai Bala Janamsakhi, Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of the Indian lunar month of Karthik. Sikhs celebrate Gurupurab in the month of November for this reason. Guru Nanak Jayanti or what is popularly called as Gurupurab is celebrated throughout India and abroad to mark the birthday of the great Guru.
This year it is the 555th birthday and it is celebrated as Prakesh Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Nanak Jayanti, the day of the birth of the Guru Nanak as depicted in some texts falls on 15th April1469.Guru Nanak was born in Talvandi village of the Delhi Sultanate – present day Nankana Sahib which is situated in Pakistan. Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus. His birth is celebrated world wide as Guru Nank Jayanti or Gurupurab on Kartik Poornmashi. The Guru Nanak’s birth day in 2024 falls today on 15th November Friday which coincides with Kartik Shukalpaksh Poornimashi. Guru Nanak is also known as Baba Nanak and Nanak Shah and Nanak Lama in Tibet. Guru Nanak was born in a Hindu family and his parents were KalyanChand Das Bedi – Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. At the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. He would spend his time in spiritual discourse with Sufi saints to know more about Lord and spend time in meditation. So he is also known as a great spiritual saint. In the year 1487, Nanak married Mata Sulakkhni daughter of Mul Chand and Chando Rani in the town of Batala and was blessed with two sons. He said that Guru is God, God is Guru and in between, there is no difference .The day honors Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings ,promoting unity ,equality ,and selfless service -the core principles of Sikh philosophy .It emphasizes devotion ,spiritual gatherings ,and hymn recitations from Guru Granth Sahib . Guru Nanak says that do service sharing with others and giving to those who are less fortunate and that is why in every Gurudawara, there is the system of Langer – food open for all and people do Sava, where people belonging to every caste, creed and religion would come and sit together. His teachings have profound social implications. He denounced caste system prevalent in Hinduism and stressed the inner spiritual awakening. In the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurupurab celebration is usually similar for all Sikhs only the hymns are different. The celebrations generally commence with ‘Prabat Pheris’.
The ‘Prabat Pheris, or the early morning procession begins from the Gurudawars to proceed around the localities singing hymns. Generally two days before the Gurupurab, Akhand Path-the 48 hour non-stop reading of Guru Granth Sahaib, the holy book of the Sikhs is held in every Gurudawra.
The day prior to the birth day of the Guru Nanak a procession referred to as Nagarkirtan is organized. This procession is led by Panj Pyaras – five beloved ones. The head of the procession carrying the Sikh Flag known as the ‘Nishan Sahib’ and ‘Palki’-palanquin of Guru Granth Sahib. They are followed by teams of singers singing hymns and devotees singing in chorus.There are brass bands playing different tunes and Gatka displaying their swordsmanship through various martial arts and as mock battles using traditional weapons. The procession pours into the streets of the towns. The passages are covered with banners and gates are decorated with flowers and flags for this special occasion. On the day of Gurupurab, celebrations commence early in the morning at about 4 to 5 a.m. This time of the day is referred as the Amrit vela. The day begins with the singing of Asaa-ki-vaari.e morning hymns. This is followed by the combination of Katha and Kirtan meaning hymns from Sikh scriptures in praise of Guru Nanak. Following that is the Langar a special community lunch which is arranged and served at the Gurudawars by volunteers. The Gurupurub celebrations are especially colourful in Punjab,Haryana and Chandigarh and many more locations.
Even some Sindhis also celebrate this festival. Guru Nanak has travelled different countries of the world including Macca in pursuit of the ultimate reality and truth. In Macca he fell asleep with his feet towards Kabba, the most sacred site in Islam and was considered dishonoring the house of God. On this Nanak replied calmly and said please turn my feet in a direction in which God or house of God does not exist. Qazi took hold of his feet and rotated him around but when Qazi lifted his eyes he saw the Kabba standing in the direction of Guru Nanak’s feet. Guru Nanak said that God dwells in every place and every heart. Then Qazi bowed his head in feet of Guru Nanak and apologized for his act. Such is the greatness of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak taught the philosophy of the oneness of the mankind and denounced the caste system of the Hinduism. He said that service of the mankind is the service of the God and thus this service to mankind is fallowed in the Sikhism. Nanak preached and practiced love for all the creatures and also said that all religions are divine and lead to the same truth. Respect to all religions was taught by this great Guru. Communal harmony and brotherhood was the message of Guru Nanak thus communal harmony and co-existence was one of the pillars of his teaching. He taught love and respect to all the men belonging to all faiths. Guru Nanak was for a casteless and classless society and he revered and respected all religions equally. To him, there was no high and low. The teachings and the philosophy of Guru Nanak Jiis very relevant in today’s world where greed and material welfare is supreme and name and fame is the order of the day. Thus in these days of greed torn world the philosophy of love and brotherhood of the mankind is very much needed. Let the Gurupurab bring peace, love and prosperity to the humanity and free us from the epidemic of Covid. All through his divine life, he stood for religious harmony, mutual brotherhood and love and respect to all the faiths which according to him are different paths to reach to the ultimate truth. May all of us imbibe the teachings of this great Guru of the humanity who always taught simplicity, truth and service to mankind.