Madagascar celebrates Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth anniversary

The Indian Embassy on Sunday (local time) commemorated the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, in Tsaralalana, a town in northwestern in Antananarivo.

All persons of Indian origin, belonging to all faiths, joined the celebrations at the Indian Embassy which began with prayers, paying floral tributes to the Sikh Guru, and followed by a Langar or a community feast.

Addressing the people gathered here to mark the occasion, Indian ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar highlighted the importance of "Gurupurab" and Guru Nanak Dev's teachings and focused on the message of living together in the modern contemporary societies, especially in the age of the internet and social media where people have started living virtual lives.

Various lawmakers of Madagascar also took part in the birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

Guru Nanak was a spiritual thinker and one of the greatest religious innovators of all times. There are stories which tell the tales of the Guru's compassion for the poor and vulnerable.

One of the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Scripture of Sikhism, is based on the philosophy of a single creator. It expresses selfless service to humanity, social justice and prosperity for all.

Guru Nanak Dev through his philosophies stressed on the fact that both spiritual and social lives are integral to each other. He preached leading a socially active life with truthfulness, honesty and selfless service to society especially the poor.