Embassy of India

Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2018

Dear Indian Community Members and Friends of India,

The year 2019 will mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru and the founder of the faith. The External Affairs Ministry has also declared that the birth anniversary of the spiritual thinker and arguably one of the greatest religious innovators of all times will be celebrated as the ‘Universal Brotherhood Year!’

This year Embassy of India in collaboration with Punjabi Community of Hungary is organizing Gurupurv (aka Gurupurb, Gurupurab), one of the sacred festivals to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti the Embassy premises. The celebration will be at the Embassy of India, Budapest on 25 November, 2018 (Sunday).

Venue: Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Center in the Indian Embassy, 1025 Budapest, Búzavirág utca 14.

Date & time: 25 November, 2018 (Sunday) at 11.00

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Program details:

11:00-14.00 Sangat Gathering, Guru Granth Sahib Path, Kirtan

14.00 onwards Langar (Community Lunch)

Important Note: being a religious event, we all have to maintain the decorum of the event. The decorum to be followed is:

Please bring a scarf or a shawl with which you will be able to cover your head while participating in the function.
Please remove your shoes entering the hall.
Please note that participants will be seated on the ground and not on chairs.

Entry is free!

Everyone is most welcome, please inform your friends who might be interested to join the celebrations.

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Some details on how traditional celebration looks like:

Guru Nanak’s birth is celebrated on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day in the month of Kartik). Celebrations usually begin 2 days earlier, with Prabhat Pheris, early morning processions around the localities singing hymns.

During the procession the day prior, the Guru Granth Sahib (The Holy Scriptures) is taken in a Palki (Palanquin) led by Panj Pyaras (the five beloved ones).

On the day of the Gurpurab, the celebrations commence early in the morning with the singing of Asa-di-Var (morning hymns), followed by Kathas (exposition of the scripture) and Kirtan (hymns from the Scriptures), in the praise of the Guru.

This will be followed by Langar. The idea behind the free communal lunch is that everyone should be offered food in the spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion).

Now a days Guru Nanak Gurpurab is celebrated all over the world.