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The Embassy of India in Baku celebrated the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji at the Embassy on November 12.

The celebration is part of the year-long celebrations of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji. Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikh community, is known for his political, social and spiritual beliefs, which were based on love, equality, fraternity and virtue. He traveled to far off places and spread the message of 'one God' and that God constitutes the eternal truth and he resides in his creations. His teachings can be found in the sacred Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib -- a vast collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador India, Mr. B. Vanlalvawna, highlighted the initiatives taken by Government of India, including development of Kartarpur Sahib corridor to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan; development of Sultanpur Lodhi as a heritage town on the Smart City principles; issue of commemorative coin and postage stamps to mark the occasion; introduction of train service by Indian Railways passing through the various holy places associated with Guru Nanak Devji, for pilgrims and tourists. Honourable Member of Parliament, Mr. Nagif Hamzayev, graced the occasion and spoke about importance of religious tolerance and values of multiculturalism imbibed by the cultures of the two countries.

Other speakers spoke about the life of Guru Nanak, his teachings of love, equality and fraternity and the relevance of his teachings in the present world. Members of the Indian Community in Baku and friends of India joined the celebration.

On November 9, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor at Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdsapur (India). The corridor, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab, India, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Punjab, Pakistan, allows religious devotees from India to visit the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometres from the India-Pakistan border, without a visa.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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