Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrated with fervor

Chandigarh: Thousands of devotees thronged gurdwaras across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh on Friday to offer prayers on the occasion of ‘Gurpurab’ – the 549th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev. It also marks the start of the year-long celebrations leading to the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) next year. The holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple in  Amritsar and other gurdwaras elsewhere saw people in thousands coming to offer prayers,braving the early morning chill.

Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 in Nankana Sahib town (now in Pakistan), around 80 km west of Lahore city.

Hymns were being rendered at the holy shrine and scores of other gurdwaras across the region to mark the occasion.’ Langars’(community kitchens ) served  food to the devotees.