Langars being served to people on Guru Gobind Singh's 350th birth anniversary in Patna.
With huge glittering tents over the iconic Gandhi Maidan, lakhs of people, and lavish hospitality, Patna outdid itself for the celebrations to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Sahib, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs. The seven-day Prakash-Parv - for which preparations have been on for two years and cost the government Rs 200 crore - has gathered praise not only from the locals but the Sikh community from across the world. This, the locals said, was the first celebration where the divide of caste, community and religion did not exist.
Here are the 10 facts in this big story:
Patna is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru. Built on his birthplace, the Sri Harmandir Sahib gurdwara, is one of the holiest Sikh shrines. But the 17th Century Gurdwara, being located at a congested area of Patna the government picked the 61-acre Gandhi Maidan to host the lavish ceremonies.
Known more as a venue for hosting political rallies, the Gandhi Maidan had undergone a complete makeover. Three tent cities were built with all facilities and makeshift gurudwaras were constructed.
For a whole week, three langars - free dining arrangements -- were choc-a-bloc, feeding the 3 lakh pilgrims who came from across the world. On the fourth day of the celebrations, a "pizza baba" baked and distributed 1.25 lakh pizzas to people.
Patna city has been spruced up too, with cleaning going on round-the-clock as part of kar seva, or voluntary work. Locals said the city has never been cleaner.
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Patna to offer prayers at the Gandhi Maidan and served "langar" to the people. In his address, he said, "Guru Gobind Singhji has inspired mankind 350 years ago, the world should know it... He put knowledge at the core of his teachings and inspired so many people through his thoughts and ideals".
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken a personal interest in the preparations for the festival, regularly conducting surveys and interacting with the officials involved. Officials said he had looked into all details, including gifts for the visiting dignitaries.
Nitish Kumar's hospitality drew praise from across party lines. "Nitish Kumar is the real Sardar," said senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia. "One does not become a Sardar because of moustache or pagri (turban). One becomes a Sardar on the basis of karma".
"I have never such seen hospitality," added Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh.
"The Sikh community in particular and the khalsas in general will remain grateful for this hospitality," said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who also visited Gandhi Maidan today and released a special postage stamp on the occasion.
The Bihar government had announced a three-day holiday for the week-long event.
Post a comment