Guru Nanaks 468th death anniversary rites to begin from September 20

Lahore, Sep 18: The religious ceremony to mark the 468th death anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will start from September 20 at Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kirtarpur, about 16-kilometre from Narowal, where he is believed to be resting.

Thousands of Sikhs from across the world, particularly from India and European counties, would attend the religious rites at Guru Nanak Dev's grave on September 22.

Both Sikhs and Muslims respected Guru Nanak Dev as their religious leader, and it is believed that after his death a controversy cropped up regarding his funeral.

Sikhs wanted to pay him last respect according to their religious rites while Muslims wanted to conduct his funeral according to Islamic traditions.

Later, Muslims constructed a grave while Sikhs built a smahdhi at the site now housed by Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Sikh traditions state that at the age of 30, Guru Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein or the Humber Bain.

Three days later, he resurfaced and gave the same answer to question posed to him: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim".

It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism, the dawn reported.

Though Sikhs considered him as their Guru, some Muslims equally respected him as their religious leader during his lifetime as his preaching were very close to Islamic thoughts.

In 1504, Guru Nanak decided to stay at a place now Kirtarpur village on western bank of river Ravi near Jassar, some 60 kilometres away from Amritsar and some 36 kilometres from Batala.

During his last days, Guru Nanak appointed one of his followers, Guru Angad Dev as his successor on Sept 7, 1539.

Guru Nanak died on Sept 22, 1539 at the age of 69.

ANI