PM offers prayers at Sachkhand Gurdwara in Nanded

Nanded, Oct 30 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today offered prayers at Sachkhand Gurdwara in Nanded where lakhs of Sikhs are attending the main function of Guru-ta-Gaddi tercentenary celebrations.

Amid chants of "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal", Dr. Singh offered a golden-coloured sword, saffron jacket and a chadar at the gurudwara where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had given the Granth Sahib to Nanded.

Dr. Singh was accompanied by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his Punjab counterpart Prakash Singh Badal were also present on the occasion.

The occasion is being marked to celebrate the 300 years of declaration of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, as the perpetual Guru in 1708 by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th master of Sikhs.

A large number of Sikhs from America and Europe are also participating in the congregation.

"All the batches of Sikh Dharma International consisting of 60 people have come to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib. All these Americans have come with lot of devotion. This is a big miracle that so many Americans have adopted our faith," said Bhai Satpal Singh, chairman of Guru Ram Das Sikh Mission of America.

"Like so many of us in the West are inspired to become Sikh to the teachings of Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi-ji. He did a beautiful job of showing the message of the Sikh gurus," said Ek Onkar Singh Khalsa, a Sikh converts from Mexico.

It was in Nanded three hundred years ago, that Guru Gobind Singh designated the Adi Granth as Guru Granth Sahib, the perpetual Guru, ending the chain of human gurus.

It is here that the Sachkhand Hazur Sahib Gurdwara, one of the five temporal thrones or seats of authority (Takhats), is located.

This is also where Guru Gobind Singh meditated on the banks of the Godavari in his final days.

ANI