Sikhism is one of the major religions of the world, spread over a number of countries. One of the most important Sikh festivals is Guruparb. A Gurpurab usually marks the celebration of an anniversary of a Guru’s birth. To mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, the Sikh community celebrates Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab. It is considered to be one of their holiest festivals.
Guru Nank Jayanti: Date of the festival
Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of Kartik month, also known as Kartik Poornima. This year, followers of Guru Nanak will celebrate the Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 12, 2019.
Guru Nank Jayanti: Significance and history
Founder of Sikhism and a preacher of peace and servicing, Guru Nanak was born in a village named Rai Bhoi di Talwandi. It is presently popular as Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan. He set up various spiritual, social and political platforms, which were constituted on the principles of quality, goodness, and virtue. His teachings are preserved in the holy texts of the Guru Granth Sahib.
While some scholars and organizations believe the birthday of Guru Nanak should be celebrated on Vaisakhi, which falls on April 14, according to the original Nanakshahi Calendar. However, people prefer to continue the tradition of celebrating it on the Full Moon Day (Pooranmashi or Purnima) of the Karthik month.
To mark the celebration, Sikhs start doing pheris 15 days before the celebration. Two days before the birthday, Akhand Path (a forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) is held in the Gurdwaras. A day prior to the birthday, a procession, referred to as Nagarkirtan, is organised.
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