Gurupurab celebrations go global: Sikh devotees flock to Delhi's Bangla Sahib, langars and kirtans in Birmingham

The Sikh community around the world has been ushering in the festivities on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Gurudwaras around the world have been decked up with beautiful lights. Devotees, in large numbers, have been joining the processions and kirtans.
On Tuesday morning, several Sikh devotees flocked to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. The Gurudwara is known for its association with the 8th Sikh Guru, Guru Har Kishan. It was decorated with beautiful lights.


On the eve of Gurupurab, several devotees gathered at Ber Sahib Gurudwara, in Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab.

The good folks at Air India have also made an attempt to commemorate the auspicious occasion. The national carrier has printed ‘Ek Onkar’ symbol on the tail of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

A one-of-a-kind mural, it shows the holy symbol imprinted on the tail of the aircraft in a yellow hue. And that’s not all: Air India has also launched a direct flight from Amritsar to London on the occasion. The international flight will connect Stansed in London to Amritsar to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Punjab. The airline will also serve Punjabi cuisine on the flight.

Gurupurab celebrations have also reached Birmingham, UK. The metropolitan city is all set to host festivities organised by the Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS), a charity for the homeless, in the UK. MLSS will be distributing food from the Guru Nanak Langar Bus on Soho Road, Birmingham from 10 am to 3 pm , local time.

On November 12, there will also be a tour of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in Walsall Road, Willenhall followed by turban tying, chapati making, gurmukhi writing and more.


However, what took the entire Sikh community by storm a few days before the 550th birthday of the first Sikh Guru, was a video showing a bunch of Sikh devotees at the Great Wall of China, singing shabd kirtan with a harmonium and a tabla. The heartwarming video went viral on the Internet in no time as netizens lauded the sheer devotion of the Sikhs who were spreading positivity at the ancient wall.



The video was tweeted by a user, Harnidh, who was in Beijing when she came across this particular scene. Harnidh, whose Twitter bio reads, ‘lost-ish in China’, joked that it was one of the ways of getting over homesickness. Several other people can also be seen in the video enjoying the soulful voice of the singers.

What’s more? Gurupurab is also being celebrated in all its glory at Madagascar. The celebrations took place at the Indian Embassy on Sunday and was attended by the Indian ambassador to Madagascar, Abhay Kumar, who talked about the importance of Gurupurab and staying together as a community in modern times. After paying tributes to the Sikh Guru, the devotees feasted on delicious langar.

On Tuesday morning, several Sikh devotees flocked to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. The Gurudwara is known for its association with the 8th Sikh Guru, Guru Har Kishan. It was decorated with beautiful lights.