Guru Nanak Gurpurab

What a gurpurab is

A gurpurab is a guru's anniversary, and Sikhs keep one for each of their ten gurus. The largest of these marks Guru Nanak, whose teaching is collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. He is remembered as the first guru and the one who began Sikhi, the name Sikhs use for their faith. The same day carries other names: Guru Nanak Jayanti, Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav and Parkash Purab Guru Nanak. Sikhs, Nanakpanthis and many people outside those communities all take part.

Guru Nanak's teaching

Guru Nanak is the first of the ten Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism, and Sikhs hold him in high regard. He taught that any person could reach God by worshipping with a clear conscience. His words are part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. The ten gurus shaped what Sikhs believe, and the anniversary of each one is a gurpurab. These birthdays are days of prayer and celebration. Of all the Sikh festivals, this one is among the most sacred.

Dates and calendars

Guru Nanak was born in 1469, on the full moon of the lunar month of Kattak, or Kartik, at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi, a place now called Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. Some accounts give a different day. The Bhai Bala Janamsakhi, an early life story whose account is disputed, puts the birth on that same full moon, while other scholars and organisations argue for Vaisakhi. Most Sikh festivals now follow the Nanakshahi calendar, which works with the Gregorian year. Gurpurab, Vaisakhi and Bandi Chhor Divas still follow the older Bikrami reckoning. So the date shifts, landing in November in recent years.

The Nagarkirtan procession

The streets take on a festive look for the Nagarkirtan. Banners hang along the route, and gates on the way are dressed with flags and flowers. The procession is led by the Panj Pyaras, the Five Beloved Ones, who carry the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag, and the palki, the palanquin that holds the Guru Granth Sahib. Hymn singers follow, then brass bands playing their own tunes, then Gatka teams who show swordsmanship and stage mock battles with traditional weapons. Community leaders walk with them, passing on Guru Nanak's message. Inside the gurdwara, the emphasis is quieter: scripture read aloud, hymns sung, and a shared meal.

How Guru Nanak Gurpurab is kept

Before the day: early morning Prabhat Pheris, hymn-singing walks that start at the gurdwara and pass through the neighbourhood. Two days ahead: an Akhand Path, a reading of the Guru Granth Sahib that continues for forty-eight hours without stopping. The day before: the Nagarkirtan procession, with the Panj Pyaras leading and carrying the Nishan Sahib and the palanquin of the scripture, followed by hymn singers, brass bands and Gatka teams. On the birthday: worship from about four in the morning, Asa ki Var, then Katha and Kirtan, then the langar. Some gurdwaras hold night prayer until around two in the morning.

When and where

The birthday is fixed by the full moon of the lunar month Kartik, called Kartik Purnima, which falls in November or late October. Recent dates include 12 November 2019, 30 November 2020, 8 November 2022 and 5 November 2025. Because the reckoning follows the moon, the day moves each year.

Sikhs keep it wherever they live. The biggest celebrations are in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, and the article also mentions parts of Pakistan and England, with some Sindhis joining in. Guru Nanak was born at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. In India the day is a gazetted public holiday.

What Guru Nanak Gurpurab means

For Sikhs the day honours the teacher who began their faith and whose words are read as scripture. Guru Nanak held that anyone could worship God with a clear conscience, whoever they were. The free meal served at the gurdwara turns that teaching into something people can see and share: everyone eats together, whatever their gender, caste, class or creed. The day is also a time for the whole community to come together in song and prayer.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

This date follows the moon or a local calendar and can move by a day, so check with a local source nearer the time.

Questions people ask about Guru Nanak Gurpurab

See also

SatsangSitting in the company of truth, to hear, sing and meditate in northern IndiaChota Char DhamFour Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, visited in one season each yearKailash Mansarovar YatraA high-altitude pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in TibetTheyyamA sacred ritual dance and divine invocation from North Malabar in India

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019: History, significance and traditionsHindustan Times, Article
• Happy Gurpurab 2020: Guru Nanak Jayanti Wishes Images, Status, Quotes, Wallpapers, Messages, PhotosThe Indian Express, Article
• BBC BitesizeBBC, Article
• Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019: History, significance and traditionsHindustan Times, Article
• Happy Gurpurab 2020: Guru Nanak Jayanti Wishes Images, Status, Quotes, Wallpapers, Messages, PhotosThe Indian Express, Article
• BBC BitesizeBBC, Article

• Guru Nanak Gurpurab on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.