Nagar Kirtan taken out in Jammu ahead of Prakash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: An impressive and spiritually vibrant Nagar Kirtan was taken out by the Sikh community in Jammu on Saturday in connection with the Prakash Parv (Gurpurab) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. The grand religious procession witnessed enthusiastic participation from thousands of devotees, turning the City of Temples into a spectacle of devotion, discipline, and communal harmony.
The Nagar Kirtan was organised by the District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC), Jammu, on the eve of the Prakash Parv. A large number of members of the Sikh community, including women, children, students from various schools, and Ragi Jathas from Jammu & Kashmir and outside the Union Territory, participated in the procession with religious fervour.
Since early morning, devotees began assembling at Gurdwara Yadgar Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Lower Gumat, near the Samadhi of Bibi Chand Kour (Chand Nagar). DGPC Jammu members, along with organisers from various Sikh bodies, jointly coordinated the arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the religious event.
A vehicle was exquisitely decorated and converted into a chariot, where the Holy Guru Granth Sahib was respectfully placed. The chariot was adorned with flowers and buntings and fitted with loudspeakers for the recitation of Gurbani Kirtan. The head priest and other prominent Sikh religious personalities accompanied the sacred scripture on the chariot.
In keeping with Sikh religious traditions, the procession was led by the Panj Piyaras-five revered warriors of the Guru-attired in traditional attire and holding swords, symbolising courage, discipline, and righteousness. They were followed by the Sikh Sangat and other devotees chanting religious slogans and hymns.
School children marched in disciplined rows, accompanied by band parties, adding colour and vibrancy to the Nagar Kirtan. The long procession commenced from Lower Gumat/Chand Nagar and proceeded along its traditional route via Dogra Chowk, Main Tawi Bridge, Bikram Chowk, Asia Crossing, Green Belt Gandhi Nagar, Gole Market, and Nanak Nagar, where it culminated at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Nanak Nagar.
The district administration and Jammu Police made elaborate security and traffic arrangements to ensure the peaceful and smooth conduct of the Nagar Kirtan. Traffic was diverted through alternative routes; however, due to the scale of the procession, traffic congestion was witnessed at several places, including Canal Road, Bakshi Nagar, Railway Road, Satwari, and parts of the old city.
A major attraction of the Nagar Kirtan was the display of Gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art, by Sikh youth. Demonstrating remarkable skill and discipline, the youth performed various martial feats, drawing applause from spectators lining the route.
Reflecting the spirit of communal harmony and secularism, members of other communities set up stalls offering drinking water, sweetened beverages, tea, fruits, and other refreshments for the Sikh Sangat. Welcome gates were also erected at several locations along the route.
The DGPC President expressed gratitude to the civil and police administration, volunteers, and members of all communities for their cooperation, which ensured the smooth and peaceful conduct of the Nagar Kirtan, truly reflecting the unity and brotherhood of Jammu.
