NANKANA SAHIB, Pakistan—Following the basic Nanakshahi calendar, the 413th installation ceremony of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was celebrated at Nankana Sahib (Western Punjab, Pakistan) with full devotion and fervour. A religious procession was taken out in Nankana Sahib following the culmination of Asa Ki War and ardas. Students of Guru Nanak Ji Public School manifested their martial skill by playing Gatka in the procession.
Like every year, Sikh teenagers led the procession holding Nishan Sahibs and wearing traditional Khalsa Bana. Police force was deployed throughout the route ensuring the entire progress completed peacefully. During the procession, members of the Muslim community came out and welcomed the Sikh marchers. Many climbed the roofs of their houses to witness the gathering of the Sikh community here.
Later in a program organized at Gurdwara Janam Asthan (Nankana Sahib), Hazoori Ragi Sant Singh sung the Gurbani verses in melodious tones. Prof. Gurcharan Singh, Bhai Santokh Singh, Bhai Maninder Singh, Bhai Jagjit Singh, Bibi Manbir Kaur etc. addressed the religious discourse to the present Sikh devotees and expressed their views.
Sikhs form a very small community in Pakistan today. Most Sikhs live in the province of Punjab, a part of the larger Punjab region where the religion originated in the Middle Ages, and Peshawar in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, is located in the Punjab province.
Guru Nanak rakha Khalsa Panth nu