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556th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak


Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Today is Guru Nanak Jayanti, also referred to as Gurupurab, which celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.   Every year, Guru Nanak Jayanti coincides with Kartik Purnima, as per Hindu calendar.

2025 marks the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Guru Nanak [1469-1539] was the founder of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion born in 15th-century. Influenced by the pure monotheistic doctrine of the Upanishads (mystical Hindu texts) Guru Nanak preached the fundamental truth underlying all religion.

Guru Nanak was born in a Khatri family in 1469 at the village of Talwandi ((now called Nankana Sahib), thirty-five miles south-west of Lahore and situated in the Nankana Sahib district in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

The followers of Sikhisism must carry five articles all the time. They are known as the Five Ks: the Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kaccha (cotton underwear), and Kirpan (a curved dagger).

Guru Nanak is the first Sikh Guru. Nine gurus followed him and there is no living human successor, but the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib is considered the 11th and eternal. Guru Nanak’s teachings are contained in the Adi Granth which was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606)

Nanak's father was a Patwari (accountant). Nanak was given formal education and employed as an assistant to his brother-in-law, Jai Rama, who was in the service of Daulat Khan Lodi, governor of Lahore, at Sultanpur Lodi in Punjab.

At Sultanpur Lodi Nanak began his religious career preaching a faith based on equality and one God. He wandered over the country and even beyond as far as Makkah and Medina. He died in 1539 in Kartarpur in Pakistan.

He preached the gospel of universal toleration and opposed caste-based distinctions and religious fanaticism. His message was one of unity of God and personal love for him. Both Hindu and Muslim were among his disciples. He nominated Angada, one of his disciples as his successor who gave unity and organisation to his followers. Gradually they became known as the Sikhs.

A contemporary of Kabir, Nanak was also a Bhakti saint.

 

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