SHILLONG: The Sikh Sangat has invited people to take part in the celebration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in the city on Tuesday.
“The Sikh Sangat urges the general public to witness the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak Dev at Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, near Raj Bhavan Shillong to share his legacy and blessings “, a statement issued here said. The celebration assumes significance since this year is the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The Sikhs across the world will be celebrating the day. In the November of 1469, Guru Nanak was born to lift humanity from the shackles of darkness, discrimination, inequality and injustice prevailing at the time. His message was simple, and resonated with the masses. Finding and realising the Almighty was not a laborious process, it required a person to devote his life to the ‘Naam’, or the name of the Lord. He not only crusaded against the prevailing caste based discrimination, but also championed women’s rights.
He educated the people to put an end to their dogmatic and superstitious practises, and lead an honest and righteous life instead. His teachings echoed both with the Hindus, as well as the Muslims.
It was Guru Nanak who founded the insitution of ‘Langar’, a practice that has gained appreciation across the globe. Owing to his following across religions, Guru Nanak came to be known as Jagat Guru, the Guru of entire humanity.