🪔 Guru Nanak Jayanti (Prakash Purab / Gurpurab) Vrat Katha
The story
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469 at Talwandi to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. From childhood he was drawn to the company of saints and to contemplation; the sakhi of the 'Sacha Sauda' is famous — with the twenty rupees his father gave him for trade he fed hungry ascetics, saying that this was the true bargain.
At Sultanpur Lodhi, after bathing in the Bein river, he vanished for three days and returned with his first utterance — 'there is no Hindu, there is no Musalman' — all are children of one God. With Bhai Mardana he then made long journeys (udasis) in the four directions — as far as Mecca, Baghdad, Tibet and Sri Lanka — and finally settled the sangat at Kartarpur, farming with his own hands; he merged into the light there in 1539.
Why this katha — the significance
Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught 'Ik Onkar' — one God, the equality of all — and 'Naam Japo, Kirat Karo, Vand Chhako' (remember the Name, earn honestly, share what you have). Prakash Purab is the day to renew that message.
On Gurpurab the Akhand Path (unbroken reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) begins two days earlier and concludes on the morning of the festival; kirtan, katha and ardas follow. It is not a household fast but a festival of the sangat, the community.
Langar — everyone eating together in one row without distinction — is the heart of the day; the big gurdwaras abroad feed thousands, and in many cities the Nagar Kirtan is joined by local authorities.
How the katha is heard
- Hear or read the katha after the puja, before the aarti — the whole family sits together.
- The one keeping the vrat should listen with a calm mind; keep a lamp lit and a little akshat-flowers in hand.
- At the end, offer the flowers at the deity's feet and bow; share the prasad with everyone.
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Frequently asked questions
When is Guru Nanak Jayanti in {Y}?
The date at the top is this year's Kartik Purnima, worked out from the local sunrise and moonrise of your city; abroad it can differ from India by a day, so also check your gurdwara's announcement.
Is Guru Nanak Jayanti always on Kartik Purnima?
In the prevailing Nanakshahi tradition, yes — which is why it falls on a changing date in October–November each year. Some scholars place the birth in Vaisakh, but the public festival is kept on Kartik Purnima.
What is the difference between Gurpurab and Prakash Purab?
None — Gurpurab (the Guru's festival) and Prakash Purab (prakash = birth, light) are two names for the same day. On Kartik Purnima the Hindu calendar also has Dev Deepawali, so in north India both celebrations light up the same evening.
I am not Sikh — may I visit the gurdwara and eat langar?
Yes, everyone is welcome — cover your head, leave shoes outside and sit in the row with everyone for langar. That is the very message of the festival.
When is the Nagar Kirtan held abroad?
Usually on the weekend (Sunday) nearest the festival — check your local gurdwara committee's notice; on the date itself the gurdwara holds the bhog of the Akhand Path and the diwan.
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