The birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru is observed across the country as Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti.
This special occasion is a happy one as the Sikh community comes together and celebrates. Langar is arranged for all devotees who visit the gurudwaras and offer their prayers.
Happy messages and wishes are circulated among people and the teachings of the Guru are revered on the eve of Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Guru Nanak Dev
Born on 15th April 1469 in Talwandi, a Western Punjab village, Guru Nanak was the founder of the Sikh religion.
He was born into a Hindu family and had friends from Hindu and Muslim communities since the beginning.
At the age of six, his accountant father Mehta Kalian Das sent the young boy to a school teacher in the village to study mathematics and Hindi.
Later, he also studied Arabic, Persian, and Muslim literature.
An unusual child, Guru Nanak was always inquisitive about life and often spent several hours meditating and engaging in discussions with Hindu and Muslim people who lived in the forest area surrounding his village.
Guru Nanak is believed to have traveled to multiple places across Asia and spread the message of one God or “ik onkar”.
He believed in the concept that the eternal truth exists in every creation of God. With such a concept, Guru Nanak established a platform based on goodness, fraternal love, virtue, and equality.
All the wordings of Guru Nanak have been registered in the form of 974 shabda or poetic hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy text of Sikhism.
The important beliefs of Sikhism, as mentioned in the holy scripture of Guru Granth Sahib, mention meditation and faith in the name of one creator.
The scripture also highlights the importance of exhibiting honest conduct, striving for the prosperity and benefit of all, and engaging in selfless service.
All the gurus of the Sikhs after Guru Nanak have penned down their writings after identifying themselves as Nanak.
Therefore, Sikhs believe that all their gurus possess the divine light and strengthen the doctrine as highlighted by Guru Nanak.
Guru Nanak is revered under different names – Nanak Kalandar, Bhagat Nanak, Nanak Shah Faqir, Baba Nanak, Jagat Guru Nanak, and Satguru Nanak.
Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2022
Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on November 8 in 2022 on Wednesday. This day marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru.
Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the most important festivals for Sikhs. The celebrations start with Prabhat Peris.
These are early morning processions that start at the Gurudwaras and move around the localities surrounding the Gurudwaras singing hymns.
Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti Wishes
One of the biggest festivals of the Sikh community, Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated across several states in India with a lot of devotion and zeal.
As a part of the celebration, devotees visit gurudwaras, decorate their houses with lots of candles and lamps, and prepare several dishes.
People also organize langars and sing religious songs.
However, for people who are far away from their near and dear ones, there are ample quotes and messages that can be used for wishing one another and making the festivities more special than before.
Given below are some of the wishes people commonly use during the time of Guru Nanak Jayanti:
- “May your life be full of happiness with Guru’s blessings. Warm wishes on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday!”
- “May you find peace and happiness with the blessings of Guru Nanak Ji. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti, everybody!”
- “Guru Nanak Dev Ji ke sadkarma, Sada hamein rah dikhayenge, Vahe Guru ke dhan se, Sabke bigade kamkaj ban jaayenge, Guru Nanak Jayanti ki shubkamnaye”
- “May your heart and mind be enlightened with knowledge and sanctity on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti”
- “Raj karega Khalsa, aakee rehae naa koi, Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji ki Fateh! Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!”
- “Satguru Nanak pargateya, mitti dund jag chanan hoya, Aap ji nu sri Guru Nanak Devji de. Guruparab dian lakh-lakh vadaiyan. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!”
- “I pray that throughout your journey of life, Guru Nanak Ji would be the source of strength and wisdom”
- “May the guidance and wisdom of Guru Nanak Ji encourage you to fulfil all your aspirations in life and help you maintain calm and composure. My best wishes to you and your family for a prosperous and joyous Guru Nanak Jayanti”
- “This Guru Nanak Jayanti, may the blessings of the Guru shower upon you and your family. May he be the guiding star as you progress through your life. Happy Guruparab”
- “Let’s make this auspicious day a cheerful and happy one. Let us be joyous on the special occasion of Guru Nanak’s birthday and make a commitment of abiding by the guidance provided by him. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti”
- “May you get the strength to overcome all the obstacles with his blessings. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti to you and your family”
- “On the special occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, I wish you and your family are showered with Guru’s blessings today and forever”
Guru Nanak Jayanti Time
On the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, the celebrations begin early in the morning, about 4 to 5 am.
During this time of the day, morning hymns or Asaa-Ki-Vaar are sung and this is immediately followed by Katha and Kirtan.
These events are followed by the langar that is arranged by the volunteers at the Gurudwara. Some gurudwaras also hold night prayers.
Rehras are recited around the sunset and this is followed by kirtan till the end of the day. Till about 1:20 am the congregation remains busy singing Gurbani.
Incidentally, this is the birth time of Guru Nanak. At around 2:00 am, the celebrations culminate.
Speech on Guru Nanak Jayanti
Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the major festivals of Sikhs and is celebrated on the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. In the year 2022, this festival falls on the 8th of November.
On the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, people offer their prayers at gurudwaras. Sikh people come out in large numbers and take part in the procession named “Prabhat Pheri”.
This usually happens about 15 days before the day of the festival. However, on the eve of the festival, devotees perform Paath and Akhand.
These refer to non-stop reading of Guru Granth Sahib for a couple of days.
Sikhs also carry out the procession called “Nagar Kirtan” on the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti. People congregate at Gurudwaras and offer food to devotees who visit the shrine.
Sikhs also decorate their homes with candles and lamps on the eve of the festival.
Sikh men also carry out “Gatka Demonstrations”, a form of martial arts that is exclusive to the Sikh community.
The unique thing about this art form is that it is carried out by men using traditional weapons.
In Sikhism and according to Sikh people, there doesn’t exist theories surrounding incarnation in the religion.
In Sikhism, there only exists the concept of Guru. A guru is one who possesses a spiritual soul. Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated not just in India but also across the world.
Guru Nanak Jayanti National Holiday
Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on the full moon day of the Karthik month every year.
On this auspicious day, people clean gurudwaras and decorate them using beautiful flowers, lights, and ribbons.
As Guru Nanak Jayanti is a national holiday, most government offices, schools, colleges, and even businesses remain closed in many places in the country.
It is the time for people to come together and rejoice. It is also the time for people to understand the significance of the day and try spreading the teachings of the Guru.
Importance of Guru Nanak Jayanti
Guru Nanak Jayanti will be celebrated on 8th November 2022. This day holds significance in the Sikh community as it marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Guru Nanak Jayanti is remembered by people in the form of Guru’s teachings, ideas, and noble works.
While most educational institutes and offices are given holidays on the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, it is important that young people are made aware of the importance of Guru Nanak Jayanti.
The younger people know about the importance of the festival, the more are the chances of them imbibing the good values that were preached by the Guru.
Therefore, this important day should be earmarked for not just lighting candles and diyas and distributing sweets, but it should also highlight the teachings and messages that were conveyed by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Why is Guru Nanak Jayanti Celebrated?
Also known as Guruparab, Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the major festivals in Sikhism.
The festival is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Guru of the Sikh community.
The festival is celebrated in the Karthik month of the Hindu calendar on the day of Kartik Poornima. Usually, this festival falls in November of the Gregorian calendar.
Is Guru Nanak Jayanti a National Holiday?
Guru Nanak Jayanti is a national holiday in some states in India. In 2022, the festival will be celebrated on 8th November, Tuesday.
On this day, banks will remain open in states like Gujarat, Tripura, Karnataka, Manipur, Assam, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Bihar, Goa, and Kerala.
Guru Nanak’s birthday is also known as “Prakash Utsav”. Being a national holiday, most educational institutes, government offices, shops, and other establishments remain closed at most places in the country.
What is the Message of Guru Nanak Jayanti?
There are several messages young and old people can adopt from an important festival like Guru Nanak Jayanti. Given below are some of them:
- Hear or see no discrimination – Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed in equality for all and was against discrimination of all sorts.
- He not only believed that society should be free from any kind of division but also wanted his followers to believe in that concept.
- If you are a parent, you can teach your children the concepts preached by the Guru and ensure children are raised in an environment that is free from all kinds of prejudices.
- Raising children this way makes them lovable and acceptable to people in society.
- To lead a life that is free from evil – Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed in letting go of anger, attachment, greed, lust, and ego from one’s life for the betterment of the mind and the soul.
- As told by the guru, these principles need to be taught to kids so they are able to lead virtuous and rightful lives.
- Brotherhood and equality – Promoting brotherhood and equality are among the core philosophies of Sikhism.
- Elders need to give examples to kids about Gurudwaras being open to people of all backgrounds at all times.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti offers a perfect opportunity to teach younger ones that real wealth comes to those who work for the goodwill of others and who are selfless.
- Young people realize the value of gratitude when they start helping others without any intention of claiming any reward.
- Taking kids to gurudwaras on the occasion of important festivals like Guru Nanak Jayanti is highly recommended as they can see all these qualities for themselves.
- Truth and honesty are above everything else – One of the best habits one can develop over time is to be honest and truthful.
- The teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji become useful when you are imparting moral values to younger ones.
- According to the teachings of the guru, the ultimate joy can be experienced by people only when they believe and live in complete truth and honesty.
- Find your own guru – If you want to understand how to live in the right way, then you need to have the right guru or mentor.
- According to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it is superior to live in the right way as compared to visiting pilgrimage centres.
