Guru Nanak Jayanti or Guru Purab is celebrated on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Guru Nanak is the 1st Sikh guru amongst the 10 Sikh gurus. Furthermore, he was the founder of the Sikh Religion. This festival is of great significance for the Sikh community.
Guru Nanak Jayanti falls in the full moon day of Kartik Month. In 2023, it will be celebrated on Monday 27th November. This is the 554th birth anniversay of Baba Nanak.
Guru Nanak History
Guru Nanak is the 1st Sikh guru amongst the 10 Sikh gurus. He was born on 15th April 1469 in the village of Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, now known as Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan. According to one tradition he was born in Kartik month i.e November. While other says he was born in April.
Moreover, at the birthplace of Guru Nanak Ji, a Gurudwara was built in Nanakana Sahib and is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Furthermore, Guru Nanak rejected the Sacred Thread ceremony when he was a young boy. Firstly, this shows that Guru Nanak rejected using rituals and physical items to remember God. Secondly, Guru Nanak travelled across North India teaching about the oneness of God. His teachings about the importance of labour and hard work showed that he rejected the idea of the caste system.
Moreover, Gurupurab or Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the sacred festivals in the Sikh community across the world. Every year the festival is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm.
Learn More: Teachings of Guru Nanak Ji.
Guru Nanak Ji Teachings
Furthermore, Guru Nanak began teaching the importance of the equality of all people, regardless of their caste, religion or gender. He taught that everyone is created by God’s will and therefore we must all be treated equally and with respect.
- “Speak only that which will bring you honor.”
- “Burn worldly love, rub the ashes and make ink of it, make the heart the pen, the intellect the writer, write that which has no end or limit.”
- “I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance.”
- “The world is a drama, staged in a dream.”
- “Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru, none can cross over to the other shore.”
- “Death would not be called bad, O people, if one knew how to truly die.”
- “Dwell in peace in the home of your being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you.”
- “If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food.”
Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!
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