Why is Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) an important day for Sikhs?

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Guru Nanak Jayanti or “Gurpurab” is the most sacred festival observed by Sikhs across the world. The Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti as the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The festival is celebrated across the world with great pride, honor and respect. Guru Nanak Dev is the founder of the Sikhism religion. Apart from the followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev was admired by Punjabi Hindus and Sahajdhari Sindhis residing across the Indian subcontinent for his noble words and deeds.

Guru Nanak Jayanti Date

The date of Guru Nanak Jayanti changes from year to year, depending upon the Hindu calendar. It usually falls in the month of October or November in the Gregorian calendar, but it varies each year.

When converted to the modern Gregorian calendar, Guru Nanak Dev’s birth or prakash occurred April 14, 1469 A.D. Therefore, according to the Nanakshahi Sikhism calendar, Guru Nanak Dev’s gurpurab is calculated to be observed on *April 14, 2011. However legends that Guru Nanak’s birth happened October 20, 1469, on pooranmashi (full moon) result in traditional gurpurab celebrations held late fall, calculated to be **November 10, in 2011.

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Preparations for the festival start well in advance. The festival is generally a three-day fair. It starts off with reciting the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, in the gurudwaras. The holy book is read for 48 hours non-stop, known as Akhand Path. This ends on the day before Guru Nanak Jayanti. A day before the festival, a procession is carried out starting early in the morning, called the Prabhat Pheris. The procession starts from the gurudwara and moves ahead towards the localities. Five armed guards, representing the Panj Pyares lead the procession carrying the Sikh Flag called Nishan Sahibs. They even carry a Palki (palanquin) which holds the Guru Granth Sahib placed firm and decorated with flowers.

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