Guru
Nanak Jayanti
24 nov.2007
About
Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak Jayanti
Tulasi Vivah
Bakri-Id
Datta
Jayanti Mahashivaratri
Holi Ranga
Panchami Gudi padwa
Guru
Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born in the month of
Kartik (October/November), and his birthday is known as Guru Nanak
Jayanti. He was born in 1469 A.D. at Tolevandi some 30 miles from
Lahore. The anniversaries of Sikh Guru's are known as Gurpurabs
(festivals) and are celebrated with devotion and dedication.
GurPurabs
mark the culmination of Prabhat Pheris, the early morning procession
that start from the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and then go around
localities singing 'shabads' (hymns). The celebrations also include
the three-day Akhand path, during which the holy book, the Guru Granth
Sahib is read continuously, from beginning to end without a break. On
the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is also carried in a
procession on a float, decorated with flowers, throughout a village or
city. Five armed guards, who represent the Panj Pyares, head the
procession carrying Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). Local bands playing
religious music form a special part of the procession.
Free
sweets and langar or community lunches are also offered to everyone
irrespective of religious faith. Men, women, and children, participate
in this karseva as service to the community, cook food and distribute
it in the 'Guru ka Langar', with the traditional 'Karah Prasad'.
Sikhs
also visit gurdwaras where special programs are arranged and kirtans
(religious songs) are sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to
the festivities. Guru Nanak Dev's life served as a beacon light for
his age. He was a great seer, saint and mystic. He was a prolific poet
and a unique singer of God's laudation. A prophet of peace, love,
truth and renaissance, he was centuries ahead of his times. His
universal message is as fresh and true even today as it was in the
past and Sikhs all over the world, practice what Guru Nanak Dev
preached, to reaffirm their beliefs in the teachings of their founder.
by:-http://festivals.tajonline.com |
