Guru Nanak''s marriage anniversary: Two lakh devotees pay homage

Batala, September 20

The 528th marriage anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, was celebrated peacefully at Gurdwara Kandh Sahib amid tight security. More than 2 lakh pilgrims took part in the festivities and paid homage.

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Year after year, Batala plays a host to such a wedding in which “baraatis” come from as far away as Ber Sahib Gurdwara in Sultanpur Lodhi. The town has been divided into seven zones to prevent any untoward incident and maintain law and order. Each zone is being monitored by a DSP- rank officer.

Historians at the shrine threw light on the marriage rituals followed by the Guru. “Guru Nanak refused to follow the rituals as dictated by the Brahmins of that era. He and his wife Sulakhni, married in the hallowed shrine in 1487, took four rounds instead of the prescribed seven,” said Jagdeep Singh Teja of neighbouring Umarpura village. — TNS