Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak was one of the first ten Sikh gurus. Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and also known as Baba Nanak. Every year his birthday is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab worldwide, and in India, it is commemorated as Guru Nanak Jayanti. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is an excellent spiritual site of Sikhism and is also known as Harmandir Sahib, Darbar Sahib, or Suvanran Mandir. The golden temple is the most significant spiritual shrine for Sikhs. Guru Nanak though an illiterate, experienced the spirit of God in everything inside and outside him.

Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 on 15th April in Talwandi, Pakistan. Nanak composed many hymns in the Adi Granth by the fifth Sikh Guru – Guru Arjan, in 1604. Nanak’s authorship is also sure that he visited pilgrimage sites throughout India. His life story is the imagined product of the legendary Janam Sakhi. According to Sikh traditions, Nanak’s life’s birth and early years were marked by many events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with divine grace. Guru Nanak spread the message of ‘Ik Onkar.’ “Ik Onkar” means ‘One god’ who stays in every one of his creations and comprises the eternal truth. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhs and Sikhism are enunciated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib. It includes meditation and faith in the name of the one God. It is a unity of all humankind rendering selfless services and seeking social justice for the blessing and prosperity of all creatures, and honest manners and livelihood while living a householder’s life.

Life

Guru Nanak’s life has been conveyed mainly through tradition. His father, Kalyan Chand Das Bedi, was a member of Khatri’s subcaste. The moderately elevated social rank of the Khatris differentiated Nanak from other Indian religious reformers of the period and helped to promote the initial evolution of his following. Guru Nanak got married to a Khatri’s daughter and had two sons. He worked in a granary for several years until his spiritual discipline drew him away from employment and family. He embarked on a long journey, travelling to India’s Muslim and Hindu religious centres.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak Jayanti is the most noteworthy festival for the followers of Sikhism. It remembers the birth anniversary of the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak jayanti celebrations strats at Gurudwara. The celebration starts two days prior, and a continuous 48-hours unstoppable recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, called Akhand Path, will be held. Before Guru Nanak Jayanti, a procession called Nagar Kirtan will be organised. The procession will be led by five men, the Panj Pyare, who holds the triangular Sikh flag. The Guru Granth Sahib will be placed in a palanquin during the procession. People sing hymns in groups, play traditional musical instruments, and display their martial arts skills. Finally, the joyful procession passes through the streets decorated with flowers and flags.

Golden Temple – Amritsar

The Golden Temple is a house of worship for all the people despite caste, religious faith, and life. The golden temple of Amritsar comprises four entrances and a circular path around the pool. The four entrances symbolise the Sikh beliefs of inequality, which embrace the view that all the people are welcomed to their place. The temple also includes a clock tower, a Museum, langar, and the Gurdwara committee’s offices. Langar is a place where they offer a vegetarian meal to all the visitors without discrimination. Almost 100,000 people visit the shrine for a day. It is also specified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the application is still pending.

Guru Nanak’s Five Principles

1.Vand Chhako

Whatever God gives to us, share it with the needy and consume. Help people who need help.

2.Kirat Karo

It means to have a real life. Do not influence others for the sake of our self-happiness. Work hard and earn honestly.

3.Naam Japo

Naam Japo means chanting the name of the ‘True God.’ 

It emphasises the meditation on God’s name to control five evils Krodh, lob, moh, ahankar, and kama.

4.Sarbat da Bhalla

Pray for others’ happiness despite caste, gender, and religion everyone should seek well for others. 

5.Speak the truth without fear

Always speak the truth without fear. Either we lose the battle or win the battle.

The fundamental beliefs of Sikhs and Sikhism are enunciated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib. It includes meditation and faith in the name of the one God. It is a unity of all humankind rendering selfless services and seeking social justice for the blessing and prosperity of all creatures, and honest manners and livelihood while living a householder’s life.

Conclusion

Guru Nanak was one of the first ten Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism. Every year his birthday was celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanthi. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is an excellent spiritual site of Sikhism and is also known as Harmandir Sahib, Darbar Sahib, or Suvanran Mandir. The golden temple is the most significant spiritual shrine for Sikhs. He emphasised the importance of Guru in one’s life. Also, he said that without a true Guru, one could never find God. According to him, salvation occurs from the heart, spirit, and soul, not the pilgrimage.