Guru Nanak Jayanti being celebrated today

Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab and Kartik Purnima is being celebrated with religious fervour today. The day marks the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, who laid the foundation of Sikhism. 

This year marks the 549th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

On this day, Sikh devotees around the world offer prayers. The Golden temple in Amritsar celebrates Gurpurab with gaiety and enthusiasm. 

Starting with ‘Akhand Path’, the gurdwaras recite 48-hour long, non-stop verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. They carry palanquins in Nagar Kirtan processions too.

On the occasion of Kartik Purnima, Hindus take a ritual bath at sacred rivers or a water body at various pilgrimage



centres. 

Kartik Purnima is the most popular day for bathing in the Ganges at Varanasi. It is also called Deva-Diwali or Deva-Deepawali - the festival of lights of the gods. 

A huge gathering of people thronged the banks of rivers to take a holy dip.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has greeted the people on the occasion. 

In Punjab, most of the Gurdwaras have been decorated nicely. Guru Nanak Dev was born on Kartik Purnima in 1469 in Nankana Sahib, now in Pakistan. 

Yesterday Nagar kirtans were carried all over Punjab and Haryana including Dera Baba Nanak, Amritsar and Sultanpur Lodhi. 

Special Ardas prayers are being performed and langars are being organised to mark the occasion.