1st time after Partition, ‘Nagar Kirtan’ arrives from Pakistan to India

For 1st time after Independence (1947), ‘Nagar Kirtan’ carrying Guru Granth Sahib which was taken out from Nankana Sahib district of Punjab province of Pakistan, arrived at Attari in Amritsar, India. Nagar Kirtan is a religious procession. It will culminate at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district of Punjab in India after passing through various cities and towns.

This procession by devotees is to mark 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev founder of Sikhism.

Key Highlights

Nagar Kirtan carrying holy Guru Granth Sahib, in which around 500 Sikh devotees participated crossed over to India from Pakistan through the land transit route of Attari border.

The event was organized by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), an apex religious body of the Sikhs with support from both Indian and Pakistani authorities

The large parade of devotees followed religious procession from Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to Wagah border amid a thick security cover. Gurdwara Nankana Sahib is birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev.

Guru Nanak Dev

He was founder and 1st Guru of Sikhism. He was born in 1469, in village Talwandi now known as Nankana Sahib, is situated near city of Lahore in present day Pakistan.

Sikhs around world celebrate auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Dev’s birth on Pooranmashi (full moon) day in Lunar month of Katak (October-November), which falls on a different date every year.

550th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev

In November 2019, 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak will be celebrated. However, on November 2018 Central government decided to celebrate 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev at national and international level for a period of one year from November 2018 to November 2019.