This is an important festival in the Sikh calendar. It marks the birth of first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak. He is the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten gurus of Sikhism. The celebrations usually commence with Prabhat Pheris which are early morning processions that begin at the Gurudwaras and proceed around the nearby localities singing hymns. It is similar to Nagar Sankirtans that we are familiar with. Prayers sessions are also held late in the night in the Gurudwaras on this day. The celebrations are very colourful in Punjab, Haryana and some parts of Pakistan.
Swami speaks about Guru Nanak whenever he has spoken about Bhajans and Namasmarana. It was Guru Nanak who started the practice of community singing. He told his followers that they must seek fulfilment in life by singing Waheguru’s (divine lord) name. Therefore, all Sikhs give highest priority to chanting the divine name in their lives.
This section contains some information about the festival that the Gurus can read and know about before conducting the class.
