Proposal to declare Guru Purab as ‘World Pedestrian Day’

Proposal to declare Guru Purab as ‘World Pedestrian Day’

Part of: Prelims and GS-I – History

Context Recently, Punjab Police has proposed that the birth anniversary (Gurpurab) of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev be declared as ‘World Pedestrian Day’. 

Why was it proposed?

• Guru Nanak Dev as the world’s most notable and revered pedestrian
• In a period of 24 years (1500-1524), Guru Nanak traveled in all directions to show the path of love, equality, humanity, and selfless service to mankind. 
• Most of his journeys were made on foot with his companion Bhai Mardana.
• Later his travels were documented in texts called ‘janamsakhis’. 
• These sites are now spread across nine nations as per current geographical divisions — India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, China (Tibet), Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

Do you know?

• In these journeys, he preached the new concept of God as “Supreme, All powerful and Truthful, Formless (Nirankar), Fearless (Nirbhau), Without hate (Nirvair), the Sole (Ik), the Self-Existent (Saibhang), the Incomprehensible and Everlasting creator of all things (Karta Purakh), and the Eternal and Absolute Truth (Satnam)”.
• His writings, in the form of 974 spiritual hymns were incorporated in the scripture Guru Granth Sahib by the fifth Guru Arjan Dev ji.

News source: IE