A celebration.

THE 553rd anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak is being celebrated today. The first Guru, he was born in 1469 in the historic city of Nankana Sahib, which is part of Pakistan. The Sikh community generally gathers at either Nankana Sahib (pictured below) or Kartarpur where devotees from all over the world come for the event, called 'Guru Nanak Jayanti', where the 'Akaal Takht' is illuminated, which is a sight as beautiful as it is spiritual.

The celebrations usually start a couple of days before the actual day in different gurdwaras, marked by the recital of 'Akhand Path' (the unimpeded prayer) for a non-stop session lasting 48 hours.

On the day, early morning processions, or 'Prabhat Pheris', are taken out, followed by 'Nagarkirtan', which is a march led by five people with swords and the triangular Sikh flag in their hands.

At the 'Langar', food is served to everyone without any discrimination, with the main attraction being the 'Kada Parsad'.

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