Punjab
The centre. The Golden Temple in Amritsar runs continuous kirtan and langar, and gurdwaras across the state hold akhand paths, prabhat pheris and nagar kirtans. A public holiday across Punjab.
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गुरु नानक जयंती
Gurpurab — the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
Counting down to Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026
Your local time · Tuesday 24 November 2026
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Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik
Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Gurpurab, marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, on Kartik Purnima. In 2026 it falls on 24 November. It is the most important Gurpurab of the Sikh year and a public holiday in Punjab and several other states.
The celebration runs over three days. It begins with an akhand path — a continuous, unbroken 48-hour reading of the Guru Granth Sahib by a relay of readers, starting two days before. On the main day, the reading concludes, kirtan is performed, and the hukamnama is read. Processions (prabhat pheri or nagar kirtan) go through the streets in the early morning, and the day ends with langar served to everyone.
The Golden Temple in Amritsar and Nankana Sahib — Guru Nanak's birthplace, now in Pakistan — are the focal points. In the days around Gurpurab, gurdwaras are illuminated with lights and the Nishan Sahib is decorated with a chola. The langar at the Golden Temple runs continuously and serves far more people than usual.
Outside Punjab, Guru Nanak Jayanti is observed by Sikh communities across India and worldwide, with a public holiday in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, and several other states.
Copy any message in one tap. Written by hand, not pulled from a quote database.
Happy Gurpurab! May Guru Nanak's teachings of love and service guide us always.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh.
Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaiyan! May Waheguru bless your home.
Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti! May his message of oneness reach everyone.
In the order a household actually does them.
Two days before
A continuous relay reading of the Guru Granth Sahib begins, with readers taking turns in shifts so that the reading never stops.
Night before
An early morning prabhat pheri through the neighbourhood with kirtan, and the gurdwara is illuminated in the evening.
Gurpurab
The reading concludes in the morning, followed by kirtan, the ardas, and the reading of the hukamnama. The Nishan Sahib chola is replaced and the gurdwara is decorated.
Gurpurab
Langar is served continuously to everyone present, with no distinction of religion, caste or background. This is the largest langar day of the year.
This is where most festival sites give one national answer to a question that has several.
The centre. The Golden Temple in Amritsar runs continuous kirtan and langar, and gurdwaras across the state hold akhand paths, prabhat pheris and nagar kirtans. A public holiday across Punjab.
Public holidays and large observances, with Delhi's Sikh gurdwaras holding major nagar kirtans through the city.
Observed widely in Jammu, with processions and langar, and a public holiday.
Gurpurab is one of the largest Sikh observances abroad, with major nagar kirtans in Vancouver, Toronto, Southall and Melbourne, and langar served to the public in city centres.
Gift categories, honestly described — not a list of sponsored products.
Contributing to the langar is the most appropriate Gurpurab act, and the feeding of everyone present is the festival's central practice.
Suits: community, gurdwara, family
On the birth anniversary of the first Guru, books on Sikh history and the Guru's teachings are the on-theme gift.
Suits: parents, child, self
New clothes for Gurpurab are standard, in the Khalsa colours of saffron and blue.
Suits: family, child, self, parents
Phulkari and Punjabi jutti are the region's crafts and appropriate as Gurpurab gifts.
Suits: mother, wife, sister, friend
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With honest budget ranges and a difficulty rating for each.
Gurdwaras are lit with string lights and the Nishan Sahib is given a fresh chola for Gurpurab. Saffron and blue fabric at the entrance, with a khanda motif.
Budget: ₹500–₹5,000
Saffron and blue arches along the procession route, a langar and water station, and a first-aid point. On a prabhat pheri route the logistics are the decoration.
Budget: ₹1,000–₹10,000
Saffron and blue drapes at the door with a small Khanda motif. Simple, correct palette, and reusable every Gurpurab.
Budget: ₹200–₹800
Including a note on why each dish belongs to this festival.
The gurdwara prasad served at every Gurpurab — equal parts ghee, flour, sugar and water, and the dish most associated with the day.
About 45 minutes
Ingredients
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Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab falls on 24 November 2026, on Kartik Purnima. The akhand path begins two days earlier on 22 November.
A continuous, unbroken reading of the Guru Granth Sahib by a relay of readers, taking about 48 hours. It begins two days before Gurpurab and concludes on the morning of the festival. The reading must not be interrupted.
Langar is a free community meal served at gurdwaras, open to everyone regardless of religion, caste, gender or background. Gurpurab is the largest langar day of the Sikh year.
An early morning procession through the neighbourhood, singing kirtan, held around Gurpurab and other Sikh festival days. It is usually smaller than a nagar kirtan and happens before dawn.
Yes. Gurdwaras are open to everyone. Visitors should cover their heads, remove their shoes, and wash their hands before entering. Langar is offered to all, and it is considered respectful to sit on the floor with everyone else.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. This page covers a nationally observed festival — where practices differ, they are described separately rather than averaged. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.