All set for anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind

LAHORE:Celebrations of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh start on Friday (today) at Gurdwara Kartarpur.

The celebrations will continue for three days and during this Gurdwara Kartarpur will remain closed for common people other than Sikhs. Main celebrations will start on January 5. All arrangements including langar have been completed to facilitate the pilgrims. Around 2,000 Sikh pilgrims of Pakistan will attend the celebrations, said Dr Amir Ahmed, Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). Sikh pilgrims coming from India would participate in the celebrations via Kartarpur Corridor, said Amir Hashmi, ETPB spokesperson. On the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, Sikh families distribute food to the needy. According to Satwant Singh Pardhan of The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), Guru Gobind Singh Ji had spread his teachings through poems and hymns written by him.

He said the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born in Bihar's capital Patna, India. He had been a warrior after he became a spiritual master, a poet and a philosopher. He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, after the death of his father Guru Tegh Bahadu, Pardhan said. He said Guru Gobind Singh was assassinated in 1708 at the age of 41. The day is celebrated to honour the contributions made by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to Sikhism. The Dasam Granth was composed by him.

Guru Gobind Singh had also declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the holy scripture of Sikhism and contributed to the holy book in the Damdama Sahib near Bhatinda, he added.