The Sikh community in Chennai observed the 404th Shaheedi Divas (Martyrdom Day) of Sri Guru Arjan Devji with prayers, hymns and community service on Wednesday.
The observance under the auspices of the Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha was organised at the Sikh Gurudwara off G.N. Chetty Road in T. Nagar.
Participating in the ceremonies, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala hailed Arjan Devji, the fifth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism, as the foremost epitome of love and sacrifice.
The message of peace and non-violence from the life and martyrdom of the Guru had to be imbibed in modern life, he said.
Harbans Singh Anand, general secretary of the sabha, said the fabric of Indian culture remained intact owing to the supreme sacrifices of the Gurus.
A prayer session featuring recital of kirtans and shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, was led by Arjan Singh Bala from the Golden Temple, Amritsar.
The holy book enshrines the eternal code of life in Sikhism and is believed to offer salvation to those who meditate on the scriptures. The tome was first compiled by the fifth Guru of Sikhism and completed by the tenth Guru of Sikhism Guru Gobind Singh, who also declared it to be the eternal Guru.
Scores of Sikh volunteers also organised ‘Guru ka Langar' (community kitchen) as a commemorative service.
