Gurpurab – 549th Year of Blessings

On the stroke of midnight, a leader was born. The founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh gurus, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was worshipped by millions of his devotees worldwide. Some gurudwaras had started the celebration few days prior, while all of them recited ‘Akhand Path’ 48-hour long, non-stop verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs. Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated with great fervour in our nation and its glimpse could be witnessed at Mumbai Gurpurab ground.

The huge ground was covered in green carpet and surrounded by counters of partners in organising the event. On one side, the Police force was taut with attention while at the other volunteers were busy with on-going arrangements. At one end was the entry for worshippers while at the other, in the center was erected a grand shamiana (ceremonial tent) adorned with pillars and flowers. This tent was where the devotees sat in front of the Guru Granth Sahib and offered their prayers. It was a mesmeric view to see the protectors standing taut with swords, singers singing hymns of Guru Nanak Dev ji, and devotees bowing their heads in reverence to their holy scripture.

GNIMS faculty and dignitaries at the counter

Outside the tent, the counter owners were busy preparing their counter and eyeing at the oncoming worshippers. Everyone were greeted by members of ‘Sri Guru Nanak Sewa Jatha Bombay’ and welcomed with chaas (buttermilk). Amongst the food and refreshment counters, there were some important counters which carried a social message through this event. One of them was SGPC’s Guru Nanak Institute of Management Studies (GNIMS). It played its inherent role of being a guide to the youth present there by showing them the way to establish a strong career in Management. The counter displayed all the available management courses ranging from PGDM to MHRDM. It highlighted the magnum opus course of the institute – PGPSM (Post Graduate Program in Sports Management) beckoning the sportsman spirit, inbuilt within the Sikh community. GNIMS alumni visiting the function, were coming in with respect, to greet their gurus (teachers) stationed at the counter.

The ground was brimming with activities promoting social causes like blood donation, free Medical Health Check-up Camps [By ‘Baba Jeewan Singh Ji Memorial Medical Centre (Charitable)’] and Campaigns pledging for social welfare causes viz., to save & educate girl child, stop discrimination among Boy or Girl Child, Following Traffic Rules, stopping wastage of food & water, Saying No to Dowry, Cleanliness; by ‘Sewak Jatha Dadar’.

GNIMS faculty pledging for social welfare causes

There was one counter of ‘Gurmat Literature’ displaying various books and comics on the chronicles of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (a.k.a. Gur Balam Sakhian) and Sikh Literary Icon Bhai Vir Singh’s books in association with Chief Khalsa Diwan. Later in the afternoon, when the sun was bright overhead, the Guru sewadars (volunteers) provided everyone with ice creams and sugar cane juice. The crowd was sparse until afternoon, but after 1pm cars started flooding in filled with worshippers. Once empty ground was now filled with swarms of turban clad men, and women with heads draped in chunnari.

During the second half of the ceremony, all the tired devotees were satisfied with a delicious and sumptuous lunch at Guru Ka Langar (Food for all worshippers). The ground was filled with adventurous and righteous stories of Guru Nanak; how he respected other religions and included verses by Hindu and Muslim holy men in his anthology. The narrators talked about the virtuous thoughts of their leader and his love for humanity as a whole. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue. With such ideals in mind and as quoted by Sardar Avtar Singh (President, SGPC), “People at GNIMS strive to create a human resource, which through their business acumen of human sensitivity shall add value to the ongoing attempts at creating business value”. The program was concluded with love in people’s hearts and smiles on their faces. The whole ground was filled with pious aura and shouts of “Wahe Guruji ka khalsa, Wahe Guruji ki fateh!”