The Holy Festival Of Guru Nanak Jayanti
The festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti marks and celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev and is one of the most sacred festivals of the Sikhs. Guru Nanak whose birthday marks Guru Nanak Jayanti was the founder of Sikhism. He was born in 1469 AD in Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi that lies in present day Shekhpura district in the country of Pakistan and is now known as Nankana Sahib.
The festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti
It is claimed that Guru Nanak was born on Purnima or a full moon night in the Hindu month of Kartik. It is for this reason that followers of Sikhism celebrate the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti around the month of November.
The celebrations of the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti start with the commencement of Prabhat Pheris which are processions that place early in the morning. The Prabhat Pheris begin at the Gurudwaras and then advance into the surrounding neighbourhoods. The singing of hymns usually accompanies the Prabhat Pheris or the processions.
It is also a tradition that the forty-eight hours preceding the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti is marked the Akhand Path or the non-stop reading of the holy book of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurudwaras.
On the day of the Guru Nanak Jayanti, the celebrations start at the Amrit Vela or the time of the day coinciding with 4 to 5 am in the morning. The start is marked the singing of hymns known as the Asaa-Ki-Vaar. Then comes an exposition of the scriptures known as Katha and hymns sang in praise of the Guru from the scriptures known as Kirtan.
The afternoon of Guru Nanak Jayanti is marked special Langar or a community lunch arranged Gurudwaras with help of volunteers. It is these Langars where everyone is offered food irrespective of their religion, class or creed as it is offered in the spirit of service and devotion or bhakti.
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