Sikhs' spiritual yatra to enter Lucknow on Jan 23

Lucknow, Jan 21: The 'Guru Manyo Granth Jagriti Yatra' to mark the 300th Gurugaddi diwas of the Sikh community's spiritual text Sri Guru Granth Sahib is reaching here on January 23, Gurudwara Prabandhak committee sources said here today.

The Yatra is traversing across the country and will pass through 24 districts of the state.

''Sri Guru Granth Sahibji is our spiritual leader, guide and philosopher. The holy procession is spreading awareness about the preachings included in the spiritual book,'' Lucknow Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee president S Rajendra Singh Bagga said addressing a press conference.

The holy Jagriti Yatra is displaying the handwritten Sri Guru Granth Sahib, medieval weapons (shastra) and other relics used by Sikh community's tenth Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh and other Sikh martyrs in a chariot, he added.

In UP, the Yatra had already passed through Gorakhpur, Basti, Faizabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Rae Bareli, Kanpur and Unnao. Devotees in large numbers are expected to welcome the Yatra and pay obeisance with religious fervour and giety, Mr Bagga said. Besides, the UP police would present a Guard of Honour.

The holy procession would leave for Sitapur on January 24. The Yatra that started from Takht Sri Hazur Zahib, Nanded, (Maharashtra) had already covered Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar, Chhattisgrah, Orissa and Jharkhand.

The Yatra accompained by lakhs of Sikh devouts and other vehicles would undude in October 2008 at Nanded (Maharashtra).

In 1708, the holy scripture of Sikhs was empowered with the status of Guru by Sri Guru Gobind Singhji. The year 2008 marks its 300th year.

UNI