The ceremonies commemorating the Joti Jot (passing) of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj will be held on the 21st and 22nd of this month at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib
Chattha) : The ceremonies commemorating the Joti Jot (passing) of Baba Guru
Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj, the founder of Sikhism, will be held on the 21st and 22nd
of this month at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in the Narowal district of
Punjab, under the management of the Evacuee Trust Property Board. On September
21st, a Nagar Kirtan (procession) will take place, starting from Gurdwara Sahib
and proceeding to the Zero Line at the Pakistan-India border. Local Sikhs and
officials from the PSGPC (Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) will
participate, followed by a Bhog ceremony.
On the 22nd, a statue of Bhai Mardana, a companion of Guru
Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj, will be unveiled. A large number of Indian Sikhs are also
expected to attend. During the ceremony, Indian pilgrims passing through the
Kartarpur Corridor will be offered prasad (blessed food) made from dates grown
in the “Babaji’s Bagh” (Garden of Baba Ji), dedicated to Guru Nanak
Dev Ji.
The in-charge of the Kartarpur Project Management Unit (PMU)
and Additional Secretary of Shrines, Saifullah Khokhar, mentioned that mangoes from
“Babaji’s Bagh” outside Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib had been offered
as prasad. Trees of bananas, citrus, guava, and other fruits have also been
planted there. Khokhar further stated that the langar (community kitchen) at
Gurdwara Sahib is being prepared using vegetables and lentils grown in
“Kheti Sahib” (Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s farm), which spans 64 acres near
the Gurdwara.
Saifullah Khokhar also shared that, on the occasion of Guru
Nanak Dev Ji’s Joti Jot, the PMU is installing a statue of Bhai Mardana in
“Bhai Ajita Ji Bazaar” outside Gurdwara Sahib. This statue, made of
fiberglass and bronze, is being crafted by skilled artisans under the
supervision of Faqir Saifuddin, a descendant of Faqir Azizuddin, the foreign
minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is being created at the Faqir Khana
Museum, located inside Bhati Gate, Lahore. He added that the statue of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab, installed at Sri Kartarpur Sahib, was also
crafted by Faqir Saifuddin.