Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Celebrating Guru Nanak Gurpurab. Guru Nanak Gurpurab

Glowing lamps, devotional music and shared meals—today we celebrate Guru Nanak Gurpurab, which marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The featured image shows the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where festivities unfold with splendour. As dawn settles over the marble walkways, pilgrims gather in reverent silence, their hymns rising through the cool November air. The temple's reflection shimmers across the 'sarovar,' the sacred pool that surrounds it; by night it glows against the dark sky as celebrations reach their peak. Rooted in 15th-century Punjab, this festival embodies Guru Nanak's enduring message of unity and compassion. Observed on Kartik Purnima, the full moon day of Kartik in the Nanakshahi calendar, the date shifts each year in the Gregorian calendar, usually falling in November.

For three days, gurudwaras across the country resonate with uninterrupted Akhand Path recitations—continuous readings of the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism's central scripture. This is followed by Nagar Kirtan processions that send the sound sacred verses echoing through city streets. Lamps are lit, langar meals are shared and prayers continue deep into the night. Guru Nanak Gurpurab stands as a spiritual milestone and a cultural celebration, weaving faith, music and community into a luminous whole.