Govt to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev next year

The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru and founder of the faith, will be commemorated by the government next year with events across the globe, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"There will be special programmes in the country as well as in different parts of the world to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji," Sharma told reporters after the meeting.

The government has already decided to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev as 'universal brotherhood year' and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations will hold special functions worldwide through Indian missions.

The National Implementation Committee (NIC), headed by the home minister, also decided to commemorate the centenary of Jalliwanwala Bagh massacre, 200th birth anniversary of Satguru Ram Singh and birth anniversary of 'Rajmata' Vijaya Raje Scindia next year, Sharma said.

"All required funds will be provided by the central government," he said.

Those who attended the NIC meeting included Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal besides others.