Guru Nanak Jayanti 2020: All about the history & significance of the day

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab, which is also referred to as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti, is celebrated as the birthday of the first Sikh guru or leader, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is said that the first leader of the community was born on the full moon day of the Kartik month according to the Indian lunar calendar. Read on for more details on Guru Nanak Jayanti 2020.

ALSO READ| Xbox Games With Gold For December: Here Are The Games Made Available For Free

Guru Nanak Jayanti History

Guru Nanak Jayanti date falls on November 30th this year. The whole Sikh community gathers at Gurudwaras to sing hymns on this day. The festival actually starts 48 hours before the full moon day. The Gurus start with 48 hours of nonstop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib. On the day before the birthday, a procession is organised.

In this procession, the Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones) carry the flag Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) and the Palki (the Palanquin on which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried around) in many different localities in the regions where Gurupurab is celebrated. The procession is then followed by singers singing hymns. Even the ‘Gatka’ teams display their swordsmanship through various martial arts and mock battles using traditional weapons during this Sikh festival, according to officeholidays.com. 

ALSO READ| Where Can You Watch 'Croods 2'? Find Out If The Film Will Arrive On Netflix Or Hulu

Guru Nanak Jayanti significance

The significance of Guru Nanak Jayanti 2020 is to observe the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, according to English Jagran. He is considered as the founder of Sikhism and somebody who preached peace and service to humanity. The day of celebration starts early in the morning at 4/5 am in the morning when the devotees start singing of Asaa-Ki-Vaar (morning hymns). This is then followed by the ‘Katha’ where different stories are told by the Sikh gurus.

It is followed by langar, which is a community lunch at the Gurudawars made by volunteers. The teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji is praised throughout the day in different forms of hymns. Two days before the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Akhand Path (which is a 48-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) is also done. Guru Granth Sahib is the holy book of the Sikhs and the reading of the Akhand Path is held in Gurudwaras. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti.

ALSO READ| PM Modi Releases Book On Life And Ideals Of Guru Nanak Dev

ALSO READ| Ajax's Tagliafico imitates Diego Maradona's Iconic 1989 UEFA Cup Semi-final Warm-up