GNDU comes up with coffee table book on Guru Nanak

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 7

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), in collaboration with the Punjab Government, has come up with a coffee table book on life and relics of Guru Nanak Dev, as a part of 550th birth anniversary celebrations of the Sikh Guru.

The book, Guru Nanak Dev ji: Life and Relics, has 119 pages documenting life, travel and journey of the founder of Sikhism. Authored by Gunbir Singh, visiting professor of the GNDU, and Salinder Singh, senior research fellow, the book has been divided into four segments. These include chapters on belongings of Guru Nanak Dev, objects of reverence: plants and trees, water sources: wells and springs and the last section: atones, pillars, wall and platforms. The book also finds mention of the essence of Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings, Kartarpur Sahib and gurdwaras located in Pakistan such as Gurdwara Mal Ji Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Tambu Sahib and Gurdwara Babe Di Ber among others.

Priced at Rs1,000, the book took around three months to come into its present shape. It is a part of project to publish coffee table books on Sikh relics. This document on Guru Nanak has come ahead of 550th Parkash Purb. It was recently released during celebrations at Sultanpur Lodhi.

Amarjit Singh, director of Centre on Studies in Sri Guru Granth Sahib of the GNDU, who played a pivotal role in coming up with the book, said: “It is only through the support of Prof Balwant Singh Dhillon and vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu that the book has seen light of the day. The book is one of its kinds. There are eleven hundred copies of the book, out of which 350 are being taken by the state government. We are also working on other table coffee books. We are happy that we have been able to release the book on 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.” The book has been published by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Department of Higher Education, Government of Punjab.