KARACHI: Like the Sikh community worldwide, Baba Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary was also celebrated in Pakistan, including the metropolis, on Wednesday.

Here at the Sikh Gurdwara, the Guru Nanak Darbar at the Shri Swaminarayan Temple at Lighthouse, Sikhs observed three days of prayer and meditation on the annual festival.

With the biggest gathering held at Nankana Sahib in Punjab, the Guru Nanak Darbar in Karachi became the site of the second biggest congregation, including women, children, and the elderly, according to Sardar Ramesh Singh Khalsa, the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council.

“Those who could not travel from here to Nankana Sahib came here,” Sardar Ramesh told Dawn.

He also said that the Sikh community is not alone in celebrating Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. “There are also devotees from the Hindu community, mostly Sindhi, who are Baba’s followers,” he said.

Throughout the three days, the devotees were also offered langar or free food which included mouth-watering vegetarian dishes, lentils and Parshada, which is flat bread, along with an assortment of sweetmeats.

There was the Nagar Kirtan, or processional singing of holy hymns, and the reading of scriptures from the Guru Granth Sahib, including the Shri Akhand Path, with the final session of prayers taking place after midnight on Wednesday, precisely at 1:35am on Thursday.

The final prayers, held late at night, especially included prayers for the peace and sovereignty of Pakistan.

“The Sikh religion speaks of love for all and inclusion. Peace, brotherhood, and interfaith harmony are a big part of our religion. Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar’s poetry is included in the Guru Granth Sahib,” said Sardar Ramesh.

“As we all know, the Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak. When the Golden Temple was being built in Amritsar, the fifth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, asked Hazrat Mian Mir, a Muslim Sufi saint, also known as a son of Lahore, to lay its foundation stone,” he added, while stressing respect for all faiths in Sikhism. “We also believe in one Rab,” he said.

The second day of the birth anniversary celebrations also saw a huge procession of six to seven thousand people walking from Lighthouse to Bolton Market and back late at night.

“We are grateful for the support we got from the Sindh government, the police and Rangers, who provided us with security as they do each year,” concluded the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025