Devotees flock to Golden Temple on occasion of Guru Arjan Dev's Gurpurab
Apr 30, 2024
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], April 30 : Devotees flocked in large numbers to the revered Harmandir Sahib (Golden temple) in Amritsar on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of the Gurpurab of Guru Arjan Dev.
Starting early this morning, devotees immersed themselves in the serene waters of the holy sarovar, listening to the melodious hymns of Gurbani. After paying their respects at the sanctum sanctorum, devotees expressed their reverence for Guru Arjan Dev by bowing in humility.
Many devotees shared their sentiments, emphasizing the importance of following the path laid down by Arjan Dev.
Rajwinder Singh, who traveled from Gurdaspur in Punjab to offer his prayers, said, "Today is the Gurupurab of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, I wish everyone a very happy Gurupurab. Guru Arjun Dev was the first martyr of Sikhs and he has sacrificed a lot for the Sikhs. A lot of people yesterday, as well as today came here to offer prayers on the occassion of Gurupurab".
The foundation stone for Sikhism, based upon equality and "seva" was laid down by Guru Nanak but later solidified by his three successors. To put it on a firm foundation, Guru Arjan set out to build Harminder Sahib (Golden Temple) in the exact location where his father had built the clay tank of "Amrit" and also established the town Amritsar around it.
Tolerance and equality are at the heart of the Sikh religion. It was in the same spirit of "I am neither Hindu nor Muslim" that Guru Arjan invited Mian Mir, a Muslim saint from Lahore, to formally lay the foundation stone of the Harminder Sahib. It was intended to be the tallest structure at the time by the Sikh Sangats, according to Khalsa Vox.
Arjan Dev was born in Goindwal Sahib on April 15, 1563. He was the youngest of three children; his older brothers were Prithi Chand and Mahadev. Even as Mahadev was never interested in worldly vices, his oldest brother, Prithi Chand, considered himself a strong contender for the 'Guru Gaddi' and rebelled after their father nominated Guru Arjan as the fifth Guru on September 16th, 1581, when he was only 18 years old.
