Posted by Guru Nanak Jayanti is a very popular Sikh festival. This festival is popularly known as Gurpurab and this festival marks the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is the founder of the Sikh religion and he is the first Guru of Sikhs. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in the auspicious month of Kartik, at Roi-Bhoi-di Talwandi. This festival falls on the full moon day of the Kartik month and is celebrated by the Sikh community across the globe with great zeal and enthusiasm. At Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, there is a beautiful Gurudwara and a holy tank or Sarovar. On the day gurpurab, all the gurdwaras are filled with devotees who come from far and near to take part in the festivities to celebrate the birth of their Guru.
The festival starts with a morning march, known as prabhat pheri. The whole march starts from the local gurudwara. On the occasion of the auspicious festival, you can also organize the march along with your apartment-mates. If you are planning to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti at home this year then we are having a few tips for you.
- Prabhat pheri: The procession
If you want to celebrate the Guru Nanak Jayanti at home then you can organize a morning procession. In that, you can invite all the family, friends and relatives for the procession a day before and let them know the timing of the procession so that they are aware of the events.
While the whole procession takes place, devotees sing ‘shabad’ (hymns). This can be a social gathering which can really be a good way to start the day of the festival.
- Akhand path: The three days celebration
You can organize Akhand path in your house. In this path, the holy book “Guru Granth Sahib” is read continuously for three days. You can organize 48 hours of continuous reading of the holy book until the festival ends. In this path, you can invite all family, relatives and close friends. In this Akhand path different types of hymns can be sung. While carrying the Guru Granth sahib in the procession on afloat, you can decorate it with fresh flowers. Make sure you arrange for the procession in proper tradition – while carrying the Guru Granth Sahib, it is accompanied by five armed guards carrying it, who represent the Panj Piaras. They lead the procession carrying the Nishan Sahibs (the Sikh flag). To make it exciting, you can also arrange local bands playing religious music as a special part.
- Decoration of the stage
Have a stage, where the whole path will take place and where people can sit and chant. Decorate the whole stage with yellow flowers and make sure that you have taken safety precautions as kids will also be all around.
- Langar: The food
This festival gets everyone in a mood to celebrate food. It is also a big food festival. Make a special menu, like aatekaseera, motichoor ladoo, jalebi, kaju barfi as proper sweets. For the main course, you can have various Punjabi dishes. Cook together in the apartment to get the feeling of community cooking, like it is done in gurudwara during langar, and distribute with your own hands. While distributing the food chant “wahe guru”, as a tribute to God.
- Invite orphan kids
You can invite the small kids from an orphanage for lunch, and ask them to participate in the procession. Give beautiful gifts to their clothes and books, make them feel special; organize an event for them – like singing or drama competition. If you living abroad, you send online gifts to Punjab for your dear ones on the occasion of gurpurab.
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