"Nagar Kirtan" taken out to mark 411th installation day of Guru Granth Sahib

To mark the 411th anniversary of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikh community, a religious procession was taken out on Monday morning from Gurdwara Ram Sar to the Golden Temple here.

The procession was led by the Panj Pyaras, or the five beloved ones. The Guru Granth Sahib was carried in a flower-bedecked golden palanquin.

People from far-flung places participated in the procession.

Guru Arjan Dev, the second Sikh spiritual master of the Sikhs, completed the manuscript in 1604 and installed it at the Harmandir Sahib.

Devotees throng to Gurdwara Ram Sar and the Golden Temple every year to celebrate the occasion.

A large number of devotees throng the Golden Temple to take a holy dip and for paying obeisance.

"On this day, the first enlightenment of the holy text was done at the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)," said Roop Singh , Secretary, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC).

Religious societies, associations and school children chanted "Shabads" while their participation in the procession. The Sikh martial arts were also on display.

Free stalls of tea, cold drinks, fruits and sweets and water were set up for the devotees, who converged on this occasion.

All the gurdwaras in Amritsar will be lit tonight.

"We felt privileged and blessed while taking part in the procession. Every year, the people celebrate this occasion with much fanfare and religious fervor," said one of the devotees.

The procession, which passed through various streets of Amritsar, concluded at the Golden Temple.

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