The Sikh community in the city came together for the 548th birthday celebrations of first Sikh guru Guru Nanak Dev Ji here on Saturday. More than 1,200 people gathered at Gurudwara Sadh Sangat to be a part of the Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrations. Shabad kirtan or hymns reverberated across the place. Celebrations began a couple of days ago with ‘Nagar Keertan’, a procession, and presentation of Punjab’s martial art form ‘Gatka’ that was taken across the thoroughfares of the city.
The ‘Akhand Path’ or the continuous recitation of sacred religious text of Guru Grand Sahib was held for 48 hours ahead of the Guru Nanak Jayanti celebration. Men, women and children dressed in colourful attire were seen attending the prayer and kirtan from the morning at the Gurudwara.
The day is also marked with a joyous ‘Guru Ka Langar’ or community meal that saw scores of people from different communities participate with devotional fervour.
“Gurpurab will be celebrated in other three gurudwaras at 104 Area, Vizag Steel Plant and Naval Base in the next couple of weeks. This is an occasion for people to come together and celebrate the spirit of humanity,” said Jaspal Singh, secretary of Gurudawara Sadh Sangat. Community service is seen as the main objective of the celebrations.