Happy Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav to all my friends on Dev Deepawali. Guru Nanak Jayanti or Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav falls on the full moon day in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar. This festival is one of the most religious and spiritual one which is celebrated by not only by people believing in Sikhism but many other peoples belonging to other religions. This day is also celebrated in Varanasi, UP as Dev Deepawali or Mangal Utsav. It takes place fifteen days after Diwali. The gods are believed to descend to Earth to bathe in the Ganges on this day. The festival is also observed as Tripura Purnima Snan. There is no consensus for the reason to celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji on Kartik full moon. However, the most plausible explanation relates to when Guru Nanak Dev Ji bathed in the rivulet Kali Bein in Sultanpur Lodhi and disappeared for three days. It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev Ji reappeared on Kartik full moon and proclaimed there is no Hindu nor Muslim. People then believed him to be a Guru and this day is celebrated as the birth of Nanak, as Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Actually Guru Nanak Ji - the founder of Sikh religion was born on April 15th, 1469 in Nankana, now in Pakistan. Guru Nanak was the one who not only inspired his followers but also motivated them to become a better person in themselves. Guru Nanak came from a Hindu family and grew up surrounded by Muslim neighbors. Right from his early age he showed a deeply spiritual character. He broke away from his family’s traditions and belief systems, refusing to participate in empty rituals. Nanak married and entered business, but remained focused on God and meditation. Eventually Nanak became a wandering minstrel. Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, but it is now widely acknowledged that Guru Ji has made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Sri Lanka, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. Most of his journeys were made on foot with his muslim companion Bhai Mardana. During his Divine Mission Guru Ji went towards east, west, north and south and visited various centers of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jainis, Sufis, Yogis and Sidhas. He met people of different religions, tribes, cultures and races. His travels are called Udasis. He composed poetry in praise of one God, and set it to music. He rejected idolatry, and the worship of demigods. He spoke out against the caste system, teaching instead the equality of all humanity. Here is anecdote about birth of Guru Nanak Ji, Tripta Devi the wife of Kalu Bedi, gave birth to a baby boy. The baby charmed the midwife who attended his delivery. The parents called an astrologer to predict his fortune, astrologer was amazed to see the birth chart of new born. They named their son Nanak, after his older sister Nanaki Dear Friends Guru Nanak is more relevant today because despite being a religious Guru, He was most secular of all the Indians of all times. His believe in Awal Allaah Noor Upaaya Kudrat Ke Sab Bande Ek Noor Te Sab Jag Upjaya Kaun Bhale Kaun Mande must be our Mantra for Living & Loving Mankind. Let us rededicate ourself to the teaching of Guru Nanak Ji so that World can live with peace, love and universal brotherhood. Amen ! Jai Hind! Jai Bharat !
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:18:10 +0000