Guru sahibs martyrdom day observed

[me moorakh mugadh]

AMRITSAR: The martyrdom day of Guru Arjun Dev was observed on Monday- according to the newly introduced Nanakshahi calendar prepared under the aegis of the Akal Takht. Earlier, few gurdwaras and Sikhs had observed the martyrdom day on June 4- as per the old dates.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials claimed that they had received numerous e-mails, fax messages and phone calls from Sikhs living around the globe, congratulating the committee for implementing the Nanakshahi calendar and observing the religious days according to it. SGPC officials also claimed that the ‘sangat’ had accepted the new dates for the Sikh religious days, as evident from the reports received from various places.

Sikhs had put up ‘chhabeels’ and langar at various places in the city.

When asked why the old date was also being followed by some, SGPC secretary Harbeant Singh said gradually everyone would follow Nanakshahi calendar.

SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar claimed that Sikhs had proved that they abide by Akal Takht’s decision and not by government’s.

He said even in Lahore, Pakistan, the martyrdom day was being observed on Monday. Badungar said the states Congress government should learn a lesson from the enthusiasm among the Sikhs and must include these holidays in its calendar.

Ludhiana: After initial confusion over observance of Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day, Sikhs by and large seem to have finally accepted the day after its endorsement by the Sikh clergy and implementation through the much talked about Nanakshahi calendar.

Despite being a working day, devotees turned up

in large numbers at various city gurdwaras on Monday to pay obeisance. Interestingly, there were reports from the city and some villages around it of observing the day again after already having done so on June 4, which was declared holiday by the Punjab government on account of Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day.

Bhog of akhand path followed by free kitchen and chhabeels at gurdwaras and public places marked the day. Barring government employees, who could not visit gurdwaras due to non-holiday, devotees comprised mostly women, children and business class. They observed the day with traditional religious fervour.

Most of the gurdwaras followed the SGPC directions and announced that the gurpurab would be observed on June 16. At few places like Gurdwara Mai Nand Kaur at busy Ghumar Mandi area religious darbar was held. Various social organisations, including some banks, organised chhabeels at Jagraon Bridge, Chaura Bazar and Basti Jodhewal.

SGPC member Gurmail Singh Sangowal had reportedly attributed this confusion to communication gap on account of lapse in distributing the Nanakshahi calendar to all the gurdwaras.

The confusion was over now, especially after the customary nagar kirtan was taken out in the city on Saturday, said Avtar Singh Makkar, president of Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Model Town Extension.

A Punjab and Sind Bank employee opined that the government should have declared it a holiday in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar, as he would be able to visit the gurdwara only in the evening.

The implementation of the calendar was significant because it would facilitate fixed days of observing different religious days across the world like the Christmas Day, commented Amarjit Singh, a businessman.

Bathinda:Most of the gurdwaras under Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) control in the district observed the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev on Monday. Akhand paths and chhabeels were als

o organised at several places.

While the Nanakshahi calendar marks June 16 as the martyrdom day, the state government and the Centre had declared it on June 4.Majority of the gurdwaras, which are not under the SGPC, had observed the martyrdom on June 4, but they also organised chhabeels on June 16.

Interestingly in some markets here, the chhabeels were on since June 4 and the organisers wanted to continue till June 16.