Punjab celebrates Gurpurab

AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH - The Golden Temple complex in Amritsar shimmered in zillions of lights Sunday put up to decorate the holiest of Sikh shrines to mark ‘Gurpurab’, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Sikhism’s founder.

Tens of thousands of devotees lined up at the Golden Temple complex, where the sanctum sanctorum ‘Harmandar Sahib’ is located, to offer prayers on the auspicious day.

Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 at Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan’s Punjab province) and founded Sikhism later.

Hundreds of devotees lined up at gurdwaras across Punjab and neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh since early Sunday to celebrate ‘Gurpurab’.

Huge crowds thronged the Nada Sahib gurdwara at Panchkula, 15 km from Chandigarh.

‘Langar’ (community kitchen) was organised at all gurudwaras across Punjab and even along major highways Sunday to serve traditional food to people.