With the 544 Guru Nanak Jayanti being just a week away, the Sikh community took out a ‘Nagar Kirtan’ on a grand scale on Sunday afternoon.
Scores of Sikhs dressed in white with either orange or blue combination engrossed in a series of events at the Gurudwara Sadh Sangat.
Teamwork was evident at the venue as hundreds of men, women and youngsters joined hands to organise the event with devotion. A group of people were immersed in offering prayers at the prayer hall while others were seen arranging and serving food at one corner. On one side, a team of men were busy cleaning the pile of leftover plates while on the other side; many were running around to spread a blue coloured carpet to carry Guru Granth Sahib for the rally.
The trailer was all set with a mini ‘mandap’ specially arranged for the occasion. Amidst devotional hymns and devotees sweeping and sprinkling water all the way, the grand procession began at 2:15 p.m. from Gurudwara junction and passed through Seethammapeta, RTC complex, Jagadamba junction, Naval Coastal Battery, RK Beach Road, VUDA Park and Satyam junction before returning to Gurudwara.
According to president of the sangat Seva Singh, the custom of Nagar Kirtan has been in practice for the last three decades. “Guru Nanak Devji was our first Guru. He was the leader who initiated the concept of ‘langar’ (free kitchen) that served the rich and the poor alike,” he explained.
“For us, orange signifies sacrifice and blue represents peace. And we pay respect to our first Guru participating in the procession wearing the right attire, reciting bhajans and treating everybody equally. In doing so, we seek the blessings of Guru Nanak Devji who helped us to eliminate superstitious beliefs for good,” 82-year old Baldev Singh said.
