Punjab: Thousands of people prayed at the Golden Temple

Punjab: Thousands of devotees thronged the Golden Temple to offer prayers on Monday on the birth anniversary of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Despite the cold, long queues of devotees were seen at the temple, waiting to enter the sanctum sanctorum and see rare artefacts related to Sikh gurus. Gurmat programmes and fireworks were also held in the evening. The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) had celebrated the occasion at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Sri Nankana Sahib on January 5. The discrepancy in dates was due to the Nanakshahi calendar controversy.
The PSGPC and several Sikh organisations in India and gurdwara panels in the US follow the original 2003 Nanakshahi calendar, while the SGPC follows the Akal Takht-approved revised version of the Bikrami calendar in the matter of celebrating Gurpurabs. CM pays obeisance at Rupnagar gurdwara Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann paid obeisance at Gurdwara Bhatta Sahib in Rupnagar. The Chief Minister said that the life and philosophy of Guru Gobind Singh is the unifying force of the entire country. He said that the message of peace, humanity, love and brotherhood of Guru Gobind Singh is very relevant in today’s times. He said, “The state government is following the path shown by the Sikh Guru to ensure the well-being of every section of the society.” Mann urged the people to rise above caste, creed and religion and celebrate this day with reverence.