Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Gurpurab, holds significant importance worldwide as it commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first guru of Sikhs and the founder of Sikhism, born on the full moon day of the Kartik month in the Nanakshahi calendar. In 2023, the auspicious festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on Monday, November 27th, and commemorates the 524th birth anniversary of the holy saint.
The occasion is celebrated with immense devotion and the recitation of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism, in order to honour his life, teachings and noble values.
History and significance
Born in Talwandi village in Punjab (now in Pakistan) in 1469 in a hindu family, Guru Nanak dev Ji’s parents were Tripta devi and Kaluram Mehta ji Khatri, and his wife was Sulakhani Devi, the daughter of Chando Rani and Mul Chand. Their children were Shri Chand ji and Lakhmi Chand ji. In his last years, Guru Nanak Dev settled near Kartarpur in Punjab, where he did farming before passing away. He is recognized for spreading the values of humanity and laying the foundations for the Sikh religion.
In the fifteenth century, Guru Nanak was acknowledged as the holy saint who established Sikhism. He began composing the hymns for the Guru Granth Sahib and published 974 of them. His famous holy teachings espousing values of One god, unity, equality, brotherhood, humanity and peace, are compiled in the holy scripture, and inspire the world to practice righteousness and compassion even today.
Rituals of Guru Nanak Jayanti
The festivities marked with significant rituals commence early on the day of the Gurpurab usually between 4 and 5 a.m. Prabhat Pheris or hymn-singing early-morning processions begin at the Gurudwaras. Versus from the Guru Granth Sahib are read aloud for 48 hours straight in the Gurdwaras two days before the birthday.Devotees engage in nagar kirtan processions, and kirtan, ardas and katha sessions are held to sing hymns and discuss teachings. Also, the Langar, a special communal meal is organised at the Gurudwaras for everyone to promote equality and brotherhood.
