Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism 550th birth anniversary

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1,100 Indian Sikhs arrive at Punja Sahib in religious procession

November 04, 2019

Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal has been illuminated to welcome the Nagar Kirtan from India on Sunday.


TAXILA: More than a thousand Indian Sikhs arrived in Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal around midnight on Sunday as part of the Nagar Kirtan, a religious procession held to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

The gurdwara was decorated with colourful lights and pilgrims performed various rituals including Matha Taki, Ashnan and exchanging gifts.

Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Deputy Secretary Shrines Imran Gondal said that more than 1,100 Sikhs crossed the border through Wagah on Oct 31 via Ludhiana and Amritsar. He said they visited Gurdwara Janamasthan, Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sodda Farooqabad and other temples, and the pilgrimage will conclude at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, where a gold palanquin ‘Palki Sahib’ will be installed.

“Around 1,300 visas issued for the Nagar Kirtan are over and above the contingent covered under the Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines 1974 between Pakistan and India,” he said.

“Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan for religious festivals at least four times a year under the framework of the 1974 India-Pakistan protocol on visits to religious shrines but denial to visit Pakistan to participate in religious rituals despite having valid visas is not understood,” he added.

Mr Gondal said the board, in collaboration with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhand Committee and the district administration, has made security and accommodation arrangements for Indian and local Sikh yatrees.

Speaking to the press, a number of pilgrims hailed the government’s initiative to open the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the Sikh community, and lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan for laying the foundation stone for the Baba Guru Nanak University in Nankana Sahib and issuing a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Mr Sarna, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, praised the opening of the corridor, saying that it was a longstanding desire of the Sikh community to be able to visit one of their holiest sites in Pakistan visa-free. He also thanked the government for constructing a new building at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.

He said Indian Sikhs were grateful to the government for issuing them the maximum number of visas, adding: “Pakistan is sacred to us and we love it, and we come here with a message of peace and brotherhood.”

Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Satwant Singh said the teachings of Baba Guru Nanak revolve around peace and humanity.

He said the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor was a great gift to the Sikh community, and that Pakistan is a pure land for Sikhs and a second home for the Sikh community around the world.

Attock District Police Officer Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari reviewed security arrangements for the protection of the Sikh pilgrims. He told the media that multilayered security plans have been made to ensure that visiting pilgrims are safe.

“The district police will provide foolproof security to Sikh yatrees,” he said, adding: “Around 700 policemen will perform security duties, including four district superintendents, six inspectors, 11 sub-inspectors, 23 assistant sub-inspectors, 33 head constables, 506 constables, 40 women constables and plainclothes officers.”

 

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Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in Kartarpur, Shakargarh, Narowal District, Pakistan. It is built on the historic site where Guru Nanak settled and assembled the Sikh commune after his missionary travels.

 

[El Sidd]

Thank You Guru for gracing the land of the Indus.

 

[ghazi52]

Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara: the history, geography and mythology

Now, pilgrims can visit the holy site in Pakistan visa-free
Anoushka Zaveri

NOV 04, 2019

Photo: Imran Khan/Twitter

On the banks of the river Ravi, about 5km from the Indo-Pakistan border lies Kartarpur Sahib—a 497-year-old gurudwara that has stood the test of time, history and politics. As the final resting place of Guru Nanak, it is one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines. But for years, cleaved from Indian Punjab since Partition, it has been out of reach for millions of devotees, except through a pair of binoculars. But on Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary, the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur will open its doors to visitors from across the globe.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Kartarpur Gurudwara. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan


Sikhs from around the world will be able to pray at the Kartarpur Sahib and pay their respects to Guru Nanak Dev’s samadhi. While the opening up of the gurudwara is great news in itself, there’s more to be excited about. Here’s why the site is of immense religious importance to the global Sikh community and how you can pay your respects at the age-old shrine:


Kartarpur and the early days of Sikhism

After Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism returned from his sojourns, he settled in Kartarpur. As he assembled the Sikh community there, he established the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in 1522. Since then, the Kartarpur gurudwara has housed a shrine that commemorates his time in the region. It was here in 1539, that Sikhism’s first guru breathed his last. Many consider Kartarpur as the second holiest shrine Sikhs after Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak was born.


Kartarpur and the post-Partition years

During the Partition, Kartarpur fell under Pakistan, and became inaccessible to Indians. In the years after 1947, many continued to use a bridge on the river Ravi to cross over the border and visit the shrine. However, the bridge connecting Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab, India, with the Kartarpur gurudwara was destroyed in 1965, and in 1986, a fence was installed around the border cutting pilgrims away from the shrine.

Photo: Nadeem Khawar/Getty Images

About 4.5km away from Kartarpur on the Indian border, the Border Security Force allowed pilgrims by the bus-fulls to step onto a 10-feet-tall platform and catch a quick glimpse of Guru Nanak Dev’s resting place. In summer, the devout could line up at the border for a peek at through binoculars. But winters were cruel: the fog would deny them even this remote access.

Sikh devotees offer prayers from across the border. Photo: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images)


Inside the original gurudwara

The present Kartarpur shrine was rebuilt in 1925 after the original was destroyed by floods on two occasions. Raja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, grandfather of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, contributed Rs1,35,000 to the reconstruction. Some say that during reconstruction, books and other objects were retrieved from the original gurudwara and kept elsewhere. The little we know about the gurudwara’s belongings comes from the account of Charlotte Canning, British Viceroy Lord Canning’s wife. In her travelogue describing her trip to “Khurtarpore” in February, 1860, are sketches and details about the Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs that rested in the Gurudwara. Lady Canning apparently enclosed her sketches in letters to Queen Victoria back in the day, papers of which are stored at Harewood House, West Yorkshire, England.

The Kartarpur Corridor


Thanks to the new Kartarpur Corridor, Indian Sikhs will now be able to visit the first Guru’s resting place. Many have waited for this day since Independence. The talks for a corridor connecting Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab, India with the Kartarpur gurudwara formally began in 1999. Last year, on 26 November, India laid the foundations for the corridor. Pakistan followed suit two days later. The plan was to complete construction in time for Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary on 12 November. On 8 November, the Indian side will see the opening of the historic corridor, while the Pakistani side will see it open on 9 November. The complex is expected to house hotels, accommodation facilities for pilgrims as well as transport services.

Kartarpur Corridor. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

How to visit Kartarpur Gurudwara

By air: The closest airport is Amritsar, 48.7km from Kartarpur Corridor Border Terminal, the entry point to the corridor.

By train: Closest railway stations to Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab are Batala Junction (25km), Chhina (26km) and Ramdas (13km). Transport will be available at the entry Terminal to the Corridor. The length of the corridor leading to the gurudwara can be covered on foot as well.

Visas and documents:

• To enter the 4km-long corridor to the gurudwara on Guru Purab, Indian Sikhs will only require a valid identity proof. No passport. No visa.
• However, non-Sikh Indians will require a passport, but no visa. Pilgrims of other nationalities will require a visa to enter the corridor. A visitor’s application can be filled out and submitted here.
• On the occasion of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, there will be no charge for visitors, though there may be a small fee later.

https://www.cntraveller.in/story/ka...the-history-geography-and-mythology-amritsar/

 

[Ritual]

Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara: the history, geography and mythology

Now, pilgrims can visit the holy site in Pakistan visa-free
Anoushka Zaveri

NOV 04, 2019

Photo: Imran Khan/Twitter

On the banks of the river Ravi, about 5km from the Indo-Pakistan border lies Kartarpur Sahib—a 497-year-old gurudwara that has stood the test of time, history and politics. As the final resting place of Guru Nanak, it is one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines. But for years, cleaved from Indian Punjab since Partition, it has been out of reach for millions of devotees, except through a pair of binoculars. But on Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary, the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur will open its doors to visitors from across the globe.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Kartarpur Gurudwara. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
Sikhs from around the world will be able to pray at the Kartarpur Sahib and pay their respects to Guru Nanak Dev’s samadhi. While the opening up of the gurudwara is great news in itself, there’s more to be excited about. Here’s why the site is of immense religious importance to the global Sikh community and how you can pay your respects at the age-old shrine:


Kartarpur and the early days of Sikhism

After Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism returned from his sojourns, he settled in Kartarpur. As he assembled the Sikh community there, he established the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in 1522. Since then, the Kartarpur gurudwara has housed a shrine that commemorates his time in the region. It was here in 1539, that Sikhism’s first guru breathed his last. Many consider Kartarpur as the second holiest shrine Sikhs after Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak was born.


Kartarpur and the post-Partition years

During the Partition, Kartarpur fell under Pakistan, and became inaccessible to Indians. In the years after 1947, many continued to use a bridge on the river Ravi to cross over the border and visit the shrine. However, the bridge connecting Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab, India, with the Kartarpur gurudwara was destroyed in 1965, and in 1986, a fence was installed around the border cutting pilgrims away from the shrine.

Photo: Nadeem Khawar/Getty Images
About 4.5km away from Kartarpur on the Indian border, the Border Security Force allowed pilgrims by the bus-fulls to step onto a 10-feet-tall platform and catch a quick glimpse of Guru Nanak Dev’s resting place. In summer, the devout could line up at the border for a peek at through binoculars. But winters were cruel: the fog would deny them even this remote access.

Sikh devotees offer prayers from across the border. Photo: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images)
Inside the original gurudwara
The present Kartarpur shrine was rebuilt in 1925 after the original was destroyed by floods on two occasions. Raja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, grandfather of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, contributed Rs1,35,000 to the reconstruction. Some say that during reconstruction, books and other objects were retrieved from the original gurudwara and kept elsewhere. The little we know about the gurudwara’s belongings comes from the account of Charlotte Canning, British Viceroy Lord Canning’s wife. In her travelogue describing her trip to “Khurtarpore” in February, 1860, are sketches and details about the Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs that rested in the Gurudwara. Lady Canning apparently enclosed her sketches in letters to Queen Victoria back in the day, papers of which are stored at Harewood House, West Yorkshire, England.

The Kartarpur Corridor
Thanks to the new Kartarpur Corridor, Indian Sikhs will now be able to visit the first Guru’s resting place. Many have waited for this day since Independence. The talks for a corridor connecting Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab, India with the Kartarpur gurudwara formally began in 1999. Last year, on 26 November, India laid the foundations for the corridor. Pakistan followed suit two days later. The plan was to complete construction in time for Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary on 12 November. On 8 November, the Indian side will see the opening of the historic corridor, while the Pakistani side will see it open on 9 November. The complex is expected to house hotels, accommodation facilities for pilgrims as well as transport services.

Kartarpur Corridor. Pic courtesy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

How to visit Kartarpur Gurudwara

By air: The closest airport is Amritsar, 48.7km from Kartarpur Corridor Border Terminal, the entry point to the corridor.

By train: Closest railway stations to Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab are Batala Junction (25km), Chhina (26km) and Ramdas (13km). Transport will be available at the entry Terminal to the Corridor. The length of the corridor leading to the gurudwara can be covered on foot as well.

Visas and documents:

• To enter the 4km-long corridor to the gurudwara on Guru Purab, Indian Sikhs will only require a valid identity proof. No passport. No visa.
• However, non-Sikh Indians will require a passport, but no visa. Pilgrims of other nationalities will require a visa to enter the corridor. A visitor’s application can be filled out and submitted here.
• On the occasion of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, there will be no charge for visitors, though there may be a small fee later.

You can tell this is an article by Indian media who don’t even inform the readers that it was a Pakistani initiative to open the Corridor.

 

[ghazi52]

Sikhs celebrate founder Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary

The annual celebration has been given extra significance this year with the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor.

It is one of the biggest birthday celebrations in the world: millions of Sikhs will today mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of their religion.

The annual celebration has been given extra significance this year with the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, a secure, visa-free passage between India and Pakistan that gives Indian Sikhs access to the place where the guru breathed his last in 1539, now one of the religion's holiest sites.


What is Sikhism?

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion born in the 15th-century in Punjab — meaning the land of five rivers, a region spanning parts of what is now India and Pakistan.

Five and a half centuries later, Sikhs number up to 30 million worldwide, with a rich diaspora in places such as Canada, the US and Europe — although the vast majority remain in India.

Once rulers of the Punjab, they were considered a 'martial race' by the British colonisers.

Men, in particular, are instantly recognisable by their colourful turbans, used to cover their hair, which they must leave uncut.

That is one of the five articles of their faith they must carry all the time, known as the Five Ks: the Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kaccha (cotton underwear), and Kirpan (a curved dagger).

Sikhs worship God, known to them as Waheguru, or "wonderful teacher", inside gurdwaras, or "doorways to God".

The word "Sikh" means the "seeker", or the "learner".

Male Sikhs bear the name "Singh", which means lion; while women go by "Kaur", or princess.

Who was Guru Nanak?

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 to a Hindu family at Nankana Sahib, a city about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Lahore.

Some legends say there were signs of divinity around him from the start, such as the time a cobra was found rearing over his head — not to attack him, but to shade him from the sun as he napped.

As he grew older the Guru began travelling, preaching a faith based on equality and one God.

He died in 1539 in Kartarpur, where his remains are buried.

Pakistani Sikh devotees take part in celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder, Guru Nanak Dev at a Sikh temple in Karachi on Monday. — AP


Nine gurus followed Guru Nanak and there is no living human successor, but the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy book — is considered the 11th and eternal.

What happens on his birthday?

Sikhs around the world, but especially on the subcontinent, will come together to sing, pray, eat and hold sprawling processions to different gurdwaras.

Youth Sikh devotees demonstrate their 'Gatka' traditional martial art skills during a "Nagar Kirtan" (holy procession) on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Sri Guru Nanak Dev, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on November 11. — AFP


Some of the biggest celebrations will be the site of their one of their holiest shrines, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.

In Pakistan, thousands of Sikhs are expected to mark the occasion at Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur.


Why is this year special?

Apart from it being the 550th anniversary, this year also saw the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor — a secure land link allowing Indian Sikhs to visit the gurdwara in the Pakistani town where the Guru died.

Sitting places with pillows are set out for Sikh pilgrims to attend a ceremomy for the inauguration of the Shrine of Baba Guru Nanak Dev at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, on Saturday. — AFP


The gurdwara at Kartarpur is so close to the India-Pakistan frontier that its white dome and four cupolas can be seen from across the border.

Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses the inauguration ceremony of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, on Saturday. — AP


On Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor at a colourful ceremony.

"I congratulate the Sikh community on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak and welcome you all," the premier had said at the start of his address on the colourful occasion, which was marked by festivities as hundreds of Sikhs from India got their first chance to access the revered site.