Gurpurab or Guru Nanak Jayanti is the most important and sacred festival of the Sikh community and is observed by them across the world. It is also known as the also known as Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav, that also connotes to the Sikh guru’s birth anniversary. The festival is celebrated every year on a full moon day in the month of Kartik, according to the Hindu lunar calendar – Kartik Purnima, falling mostly during October-November.
The parade also includes the ‘Gatka’ (Sikh martial arts), highlighting the valour and skills of the community. Many symbolic and decorative items are also part of the tableaux parade.
On the day of the main festival, people sing devotional hymns (Asa-di-Var) and set out for Prabhat Pheris early morning at dawn in the gurdwaras. The Prabhat Pheri ritual is observed during the early hours of the day, or Amrit Vela. Following the morning hymns, there is a ‘Katha’ session, where teachings of Guru Nanak from the holy scriptures are read to followers. After the Katha, the rituals end with ‘Kritan’, singing songs in praise of the guru.
