Nanak Gurpurab
ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
Akal Takht illuminated on Guru Nanak's Birthday, in Harmandir Sahib complex, Amritsar.
Official nameGuru Nanak Gurpurab
Also calledParkash Purab Guru Nanak
Observed bySikhs, Nanakpanthi and many non-Sikhs
TypeReligious, cultural, international
SignificanceCommemoration of the nativity of Nanak
Celebrationsgift-giving, gurdwara services
ObservancesFestival
2023 date27 November[1]
Started byNanak

Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ (Gurmukhi)), also known as Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਉਤਸਵ), celebrates the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak.[2] One of the most celebrated and important Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak is highly revered by the Sikh community. [3] This is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism, or Sikhi.[4] The festivities in the Sikh religion revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurab, are occasions for celebration and prayer among the Sikhs.[5]

Background

The Birth of Guru Nanak, by the artist Sardul Singh in 1910.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan) in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate,[6][7] although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian month of Kārtik or November, known as Kattak in Punjabi.[8] He was born into the Khatri Punjabi clan like all of the Sikh gurus. Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi Khatri.

Most janamsakhis (ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, 'birth stories'), or traditional biographies of Nanak, mention that he was born on the third day of the bright lunar fortnight, in the Baisakh month (April) of Samvat 1526.[8] These include the Puratan ('traditional' or 'ancient') janamsakhi, Miharban janamsakhi, Gyan-ratanavali by Bhai Mani Singh, and the Vilayat Vali janamsakhi.[9] Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written 1718, also attributed to Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it instead says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.[10] The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the 10th day of the Asauj month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539 CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was born in the month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November).[11]

Kattak birthdate

Birth of Guru Nanak, painting from an 1830's Janamsakhi.

In as late as 1815, during the reign of Ranjit Singh, the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the place of his birth, known by then as Nankana Sahib.[9] However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the Gurpurab (gur + purab, 'celebration')—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day of the Kattak month in November. The earliest record of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868 CE.[12]

There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may have been the date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in 1496, as suggested by the Dabestan-e Mazaheb.

Significance

Guru Nanak preached that any person could connect to God by worshipping with clear conscience.[13] His teachings are included in Guru Granth Sahib.[14]

The festival

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak

The celebration is generally similar for all Sikhs; only the hymns are different. The celebrations usually commence with Prabhat Pheris. Prabhat Pheris are early morning processions that begin at the Gurudwaras and proceed around the localities singing hymns. Generally, two days before the birthday, Akhand Path (a forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs) is held in the Gurdwaras.[15]

The day prior to the birthday, a procession, referred to as Nagarkirtan,[16] is organised. This procession is led by the Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones).[17][18] They head the procession carrying the Sikh flag, known as the Nishan Sahib and the Palki (Palanquin) of Guru Granth Sahib.[19] They are followed by teams of singers singing hymns[18] and devotees sing the chorus. There are brass bands playing different tunes and 'Gatka' teams display their swordsmanship through various martial arts and as mock battles using traditional weapons.[17][16] The procession pours into the streets of the town. The passage is covered with banners and gates are decorated flags and flowers, for this special occasion.[17][16] The leaders spreading the message of Guru Nanak.[17]

Guru Nanak Gurpurab 2010 at Pune, Maharashtra, India

On the day of the Gurpurab, the celebrations commence/begin early in the morning at about 4 to 5 a.m.[16][17] This time of the day is referred to as Amrit Vela. The day begins with the singing of Asaa-Ki-Vaar (morning hymns).[16][17] This is followed by any combination of Katha[16] (exposition of the scripture) and Kirtan (hymns from the Sikh scriptures), in the praise of the Guru.[17] Following that is the Langar, a special community lunch, which is arranged at the Gurudwaras by volunteers. The idea behind the free communal lunch is that everyone, irrespective of gender, caste, class or creed,[20] should be offered food in the spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion).

Night prayer sessions are also held in some Gurudwaras, which begin around sunset when Rehras (evening prayer) is recited, followed by Kirtan till late at night.[17] The congregation starts singing Gurbani at about 1:20 a.m., which is the actual time of birth of Guru Nanak. The celebrations culminate at around 2 a.m.[17] Guru Nanak Gurpurab is celebrated by the Sikh community all over the world and is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar. The celebrations are especially colorful in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh and many more locations like in parts of Pakistan and England. Even some Sindhis celebrate this festival.[21] Celebrating the auspicious day, the Punjab government has announced that it will install chairs dedicated to the great saint in 11 universities. The announcement was made on 11 November 2019.[22]

Public Holiday

Guru Nanak Gurpurab is celebrated as public holiday in following places:

Country States/Provinces
India [23] Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam

See also

References

  1. ↑ "When is Guru Nanak Jayanti for the next 10 years (2022 to 2032) ?". 27 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Singh Purewal, Pal. "Birth Date of Guru Nanak Sahib" (PDF). Purewal's Page. Pal Singh Purewal. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Happy Gurpurab 2020: Guru Nanak Jayanti Wishes Images, Status, Quotes, Wallpapers, Messages, Photos". The Indian Express. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ↑ "Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019: History, significance and traditions". Hindustan Times. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Guru Nanak Ji and Sikh 10 Gurus". Sikh legendaries. 3 May 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Singh 2006, pp. 12–13.
  7. ↑ Grewal 1998, p. 6.
  8. 1 2 Gupta 1984, p. 49.
  9. 1 2 Gupta 1984, p. 50.
  10. ↑ Singh, Dr. Trilochan. Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism: A Biography (PDF). pp. 489–491.
  11. ↑ Gupta 1984, p. 54.
  12. ↑ Gupta 1984, p. 52.
  13. ↑ "Guru Nanak Jyanti- Guru Parab". Bolly Movie Review Tech. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "Guru Nanak Jayanti 2021: When is Gurpurab? Date, significance, history and all you need to know". Hindustan Times. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Rumi, Faryal (24 November 2020). "'Prabhat pheri' to set off from Patna Sahib gurdwara today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "GURPURBS". Archived from the original on 1 June 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "What's your point?". Sikhpoint.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Guru Nanak". Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  19. ↑ "Gurpurab 2020 date: All you need to know about Guru Nanak Jayanti". The Times of India. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  20. ↑ "Guru Purab". Archived from the original on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  21. ↑ Satpathy, Kriti Saraswat (14 November 2016). "Guru Nanak Jayanti: Why and how Gurpurab is celebrated in India". India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News | India.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Punjab government to install chair dedicated to Guru Nanak in 11 universities". Hindustan Times. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  23. ↑ "Guru Nanak Jayanti 2020, 2021 and 2022". PublicHolidays.in. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.

Cited sources

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