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In Pictures : Sikhs mark Guru Nanak’s 551st birth anniversary

Thousands of devotees in various countries celebrate one of the most important festivals in the Sikh religion.

Sikh devotees, some of them wearing masks, arrive to offer prayers during celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, at a gurudwara, or Sikh temple, in Jammu. [Channi Anand/AP Photo]
Published On 30 Nov 202030 Nov 2020
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Thousands of Sikhs from across the world on Monday celebrated the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru or leader.

The event, known as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab, is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh religion.

The occasion is celebrated every year on the full moon day in the month of Kartik, one of 12 in the Hindu calendar.

Sikh devotees in India, which has the largest Sikh population in the world, paid tribute at temples across India, including the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Devotees in India and Pakistan also travelled to the eastern city of Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, to commemorate the Nanak’s birth anniversary at the ornate, palatial structure of the Gurdwara (Temple) Janam Asthan.

Guru Nanak was born in Nankana Sahib in 1469.

Today, the predominantly Muslim town attracts Sikh pilgrims from around the globe.

Followers performed the religious rite of Akhand Path – the continuous recitation of the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib.

The festival is also marked with a procession in which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried on a decorated float, known as a palki, accompanied by musicians and armed guards.

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Thousands of pilgrims from various countries arrived in Pakistan to participate in a three-day festival to celebrate the 551st birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh religion. [K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo]
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A general view of the illuminated Golden Temple is pictured on the eve of the 551st birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Sri Guru Nanak Dev, in Amritsar. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]
Sikh boys in traditional dress attend a religious festival to celebrate the birth anniversary of their spiritual leader Baba Guru Nanak Dev, at Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan. [K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo]
Sikh devotees pay respect on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Sri Guru Nanak Dev, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]
Sikh devotees eat a meal from a community kitchen in Jammu. [Channi Anand/AP Photo]
Sikh priest Giani Jagtar Singh, centre, sits behind the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book) during a Jalau, a display of Sikhism's symbolic items inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. [Narinder Nanu/ AFP]
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A Sikh devotee takes a dip in the holy sarovar - water tank - on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Sri Guru Nanak Dev in Amritsar. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]
Sikh pilgrims receive sweets in a religious ritual at Nankana Sahib, about 80km (35 miles) from the eastern city of Lahore. [Arif Ali/AFP]
A Sikh couple arrive to attend a religious festival to celebrate the birth anniversary of their spiritual leader Baba Guru Nanak Dev at Nankana Sahib [K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo]


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