Sikh community share 1k meals on birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

The event was a celebration of the 552nd anniversary of First Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was the founder of the Sikh religion.

The birth of Baba Nanak is traditionally celebrated worldwide on Katak Pooranmashi - the full moon of Katak - which falls between October and November.

Approximately 1,000 hot and freshly prepared vegetarian Indian meals were distributed opposite Primark in Newmarket Street from around 2pm in honour of the Guru and in keeping with the Sikh tradition of ‘Sewa’ or self-less service. Guru Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Asia teaching people the message of ik onkar ‘one God’, who, Sikhs believe, dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal truth. With this concept he would set up a ‘unique, spiritual, social and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness and virtue’.

The event also happened to fall on the 62nd birthday of well-known local member of the association Amerjit (Simon) Singh Nagra. Equally, it took place as the long-established local Indian community were celebrating Diwali, the annual harvest celebration and festival of light, and was very well received.