HSGMC begins celebrations, releases Nanakshahi calendar

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, September 25

The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) has started celebrations to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in the state. The committee will organise different events till March next year.

A kirtan darbar was organised at Gurdwara Baba Jorawar Singh Fateh Singh here today.

Jagdish Singh Jhinda, chief, HSGMC, said: “The committee has started the celebrations in Haryana. While the birth anniversary will be celebrated on January 5, the celebrations will continue till March next year. The HSGMC will organise various events in 14 districts of the state. It has also been decided to honour Sikh children who have performed well in different fields during these events.”

The events will be organised in Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Rohtak and Jind.

Jhinda said: “During the celebrations, several events such as kavi darbar, kirtan darba, nagar kirtan and turban, kushti (wrestling) and gatka competitions will be organised. We have sent an invitation to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to be a part of the celebrations. Besides this, a letter has been sent to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar to seek his permission to organise an event at Nada Sahib Gurdwara in Panchkula.”

On the occasion, the committee also released the original Nanakshahi calendar which was introduced in 2003. Jhinda said: “The committee has decided to follow and promote the original Nanakshahi calendar launched in 2003. The original calendar based on solar charts must be implemented as it was made after a lot of hard work and brainstorming. It has been amended twice in the last a few years which has created confusion over important dates.”

“Prior to the Nanakshahi calendar, the dates of various events kept on changing as they were fixed according to the Bikrami calendar which is based on lunar charts. The amended version was a mix of the original Nanakshahi and the Bikrami calendar which was the prime reason behind the confusion. Nearly 10,000 calendars have been printed and they will be circulated across the state,” he added.

To a query, he said: “People who have left the committee work for their personal gains. The committee will appoint a new member in his place soon.” Committee’s executive body member Gurmeet Singh had resigned yesterday.