Jamshedpur : Devotees across the city today lined up at Refugee Colony Gurudwara to immerse themselves in the colours of devotion on the occasion of 350th ‘Parkash Purab’, the birth anniversary of 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Born in Patna, on December 22, 1666, Guru Gobind Singh was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who devoted his life to protect religious freedom. To protect the people from being oppressed, Guru Gobind Singh established the ‘Khalsa Panth’ in the year 1699.
The devotees participated in special prayer ceremonies. Free langars (holy kitchen) were also arranged and prasad (holy food) was distributed to mark the occasion.
Recitations of sacred Gurubani Keertans ( holy hymns) by renowned Sikh preachers of the city to inculcate the values of Guru Gobind Singh among the devotees on the occasion were held.
A religious procession was taken out from Refugee Colony Gurudwara. “We are celebrating ‘Prakash Utsav’, the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of Sikhs with fervour. The devotees come here to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh with a lot of happiness and devotion,” said Parmeet Kaur, a Sikh devotee.
“We are celebrating the ‘Prakash Utsav’ Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary, the tenth guru of Sikhs with happiness and fervour. Like every year we are taking out a religious procession and chanting prayers to celebrate the birth anniversary of our revered Guru,” said Giani Iqbal Singh, a Sikh leader.
The devotees also chanted numerous prayers while walking along the chariot.
In daredevil acts to depict victory over evil, Sikh martial art forms like the ‘Gatka’ were also performed by trained professionals.
Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus, the one who transformed the Sikh faith. In 1699 he created the Khalsa (Pure), a community of the faithful who wore visible symbols of their faith and trained as warriors. Today the Khalsa comprises all practicing Sikhs.
