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Guru
Maneyo
Granth Ji
All roads lead to Guru’s Nanded as
world keeps
300 Saal Guru De Naal date
Kalam Nishan Singh
 NANDED:
On the border of
Maharashtra and
Andhra Pradesh, Nanded was a sleepy city but today, all roads lead
to Nanded. Millions are headed for Nanded to celebrate the
tercentenary of the Guruship of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji here with a
darshan at Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib. Roads are
crowded, Bole So Nihal slogans are in the air, langars punctuate all
major thorough fares, devotees are swarming around the tents and
lakhs more are on the way.
All nearby
airports are reporting full flights, roads are chock-a-block, trains
are bringing ever more enthusiastic crowds and the whole town seems
to be one big colourful procession, a procession of humanity
dedicated to the cause of the Guru, to Sarbat Dal Bhala, to the idea
of the written Word as the Guru, to the commitment to engage with
all of life's domains through an engagement with the Living Guru,
Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
300 Saal, Guru
De Naal, Guru Maniyo Granth and Parcha Shabd Ka are the most heard
phrases in the public domain in these days as newspapers and
websites in
India
and across the world report the uniqueness of the Sikh religion.
Guru Gobind
Singh Ji's Jyoti-Jot day is also being observed alongside as He had
passed on the Guruship to the scriptures before leaving for his
heavenly abode.
TV channels are
vying with each other to bring the Guru's word home, all across the
globe community channels and radio stations are broadcasting
programs related to the Guru'ta Gaddi functions. Universities are
reporting seminars, gurdwaras are suddenly over crowded, a fervour
is in the air, an intoxicating spirit of religion is sweeping over
the world whereever there is even a single Sikh.
Reports reaching
here from all over the world talk of processions in almost every
country, every province where there is a gurdwara.
This was one of
the purposes of celebrating a day as historic as this one. Only once
in a lifetime is one blessed to see a day like this. The Sikhs are
re-dedicating themselves to the ideal, the highest ideal known to
mankind. Guru Granth Sahib is Samrath Guru, the Guru to whom you can
turn for a solution to your personal, colective, societal,
community, religious or economic problems. It teaches a matrix of
life and values and sets an agenda for a cause ever so higher.
Guruta Gaddi
celebrations in
Punjab were
largely held on October 20 and across country at many places these
are scheduled for October 29 to November 4. At Takht Sri Damdama
Sahib Ji and at Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji, the celebrations were held
with much enthusiasm on October 20.
 Nanded
is one of the five takhts of the Sikhs, the temporal seats. Nearly
15 lakh Sikhs are expected to visit the town between these days.
Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurudwara Board member
Jasbir Singh told the WSN that devotees have been reaching for many
days now.
One can spot
horses, elephants and chariots on Nanded's roads. Former
Maharashtra
director-general of police P S Pasricha is a busy man, overseeing
many logistics, and at times fending off accusations that some of
the community's heritage has been damaged. Hopefully, the community
will return to the crucial issue later but for now, the spririt is
of re-dedicating to the Guru. The gurudwara complex, built by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1837, has been spruced up.
In less than two
years, the 6-lakh population Nanded has seen total transformation
with injection of Rs 2,800 crore worth of development works. Not
only the Sachkhand Gurudwara complex has been widened four-fold, but
also the airport, railway station and the roads have been expanded.
Wider roads, a
wider parikarma, virtual townships of hundreds of tents, the new
Yatri Niwas and the NRI Complex, temporary camps at five places on
the periphery of the city to handle 10 lakh people, more than 50
temporary langars. The picture is becoming ever more colorful with
every passing hour as special trains chug in and hundreds of buses
and trucks bring crowds of Sikhs ready to follow the Guru's word and
the Guru's command.
A jatha of 500
Sikhs from Pakistan is also on its way, led by Pakistan Shiromani
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) for the festival. On the
calendar is also an Indo-Pak wrestling match. World leaders messages
are pouring in (See page 15), Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
is expected, so is President Pratibha Patil. Maharashtra CM Vilasrao
Deshmukh will be in attendance. Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal will
of course be attending. Sonia Gandhi has already paid a visit.
Exclusive photos to WSN: P. Bokaare/Pawan Singh Bais from Nanded
22 October 2008
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