550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji celebrated in Colombo

The High Commission of India commemorated the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji on 9 November. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first Guru and founder of Sikhism, one of the youngest religions in the world. 

He was a poet, a religious teacher, a social reformer, and a householder who preached that God is one, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and beyond all form and name. His thought that ‘All men are equal’ led to a social doctrine which was against discrimination based on caste, religion, race, colour or financial status. 

Sikhism which originated in the north-western part of the Indian sub-continent in the late 15th and early 16th century AD, now nearly has 30 million followers spread all over the world. It is the world’s fifth largest organised religion, as well as being the world’s ninth-largest overall religion. Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru and the nine Sikh gurus that succeeded him. The 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, named the scripture ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus and making the scripture the eternal, religious spiritual guide for Sikhs. Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth is celebrated worldwide on the full-moon day in the month of Kartak (October-November).

Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself had travelled extensively to all parts of the Indian sub-continent and West Asia. He is reported to have visited Sri Lanka. During his spiritual journeys, he held discourses with priests of various sects of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Muslims. He engaged in dialogue with other religions which cemented his belief that God is one and who teaches tolerance. He then set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.

The High Commission of India commemorated the special day with a talk, documentary screening and soulful rendition of Kirtan/Ardas by Gyaniji from Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, Colombo.

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu graced the occasion. 

The celebrations also coincided with the opening of the ‘Kartarpur Corridor’ earlier in the day.