History and Art and Culture
Context: Recently the President of India has greeted fellow-citizens on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti.
About Guru Nanak Jayanti:
- Early Life:
- He was born on April 15, 1469, at Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi, near Lahore, which is in the Sheikhpura district of modern-day Pakistan.
- He was born into a middle-class Hindu family and raised by his parents, Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta.
- Founder of Sikhism:
- He was the first of the 10 Sikh Gurus and the founder of Sikhism in the 15th century.
- He started writing the Guru Granth Sahib and completed 974 hymns.
- His Teachings:
- He advocated the ‘Nirguna’ (devotion to and worship of formless divine) form of bhakti.
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji spread the message of ‘Ek Omkar’ which means that God is one and is present everywhere.
- He set up rules for congregational worship (Sangat) involving collective recitation.
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji also gave the message of humility and service to mankind.
- His verses also preach selfless service to humanity, prosperity and social justice for all, irrespective of differences.
- He inspired us to practise love, unity and brotherhood.
- One should adopt eternal values like truth, sacrifice and moral conduct from the teachings of ‘Japji Sahib’.
- Guru Nanak travelled across South Asia and the Middle East to spread his teachings.
- The messages of ‘Kirat Karo’ and ‘Vand Chhako’ inspire us to live with honesty and share the available resources with others.
- Steps in his honour:
- Nankana Sahib:
- A Gurdwara was built at his birthplace in the city now known as Nankana Sahib. It is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
- Kartarpur corridor:
- The corridor was built to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism on 12th November 2019.
- It is one of the holiest places for Sikhs where Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji settled and preached for the last 18 years of his life.
- It is also known as Gurpurab and is the most important festival for the followers of the religion of Sikhism as the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev.
- The festival is celebrated on the day of Kartik Poornima, which is the fifteenth lunar day in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar, and usually falls in the month of November by the Gregorian calendar.
Source: Indian Express
