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Gurupurab
The Sikh festivals are celebrated in the way of Gurupurabs. For every morning, there are processions through the streets of a town for three weeks before any Gurupurab. On these early-morning processions, Sikhs go in the streets and sing hymns. Those people who are marching in the procession are offered sweets and tea by the local people. The Gurupurab celebrations marks the end of the Prabhat Pheris.
Three days before the day, the Sikh holy book - the Guru Granth Sahib - is read continuously. The book is read from beginning to end and the book is read without any break in the holy place of gurudwaras. This is called as the akhand path. The reading ends on the day of the festival. On the day of the festival, the Granth Sahib is decorated with flowers. He is carried in a procession and is accompanied by religious music.
On this occasion, a special open lunch is held for anyone who is hungry at the gurudwaras. The food is served with just two things in mind, a spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion). In the afternoon/evening, there are some special programs are held in the gurudwara. In the late evening, the houses and gurudwaras are brightly lit. These things add to the fervor of the festival.
Guru Nanak's birthday happens in the Indian month of Kartik. The Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak helped people get enlightenment and help them bring realization. Hence, this festival is also called Prakash Utsav. It is also called as the festival of light. This festival is also called Guru Nanak Jayanti as it makes the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The anniversaries of Sikh Guru's are known as Gurpurabs. They are celebrated with devotion and dedication.
Guru Nanak was not just the founder of the Sikh religion, but he was a great poet, philosopher and a humanist. According to him, people who practice devotion and people whop have a pure mind are doing good. He says that people should have sympathy, patience and honesty in life.
Celebrations
The akhand path is done during this time. The scripture is read non-stop right from the start to the end. The Akhand Path ends on the day of the Guru Purab. The holy book is then taken out in a procession. The book is beautifully decorated with flowers and children take part in the procession. They march along with the local band playing religious hymns. The procession is led by five armed guards and they are called as panj pyare.
Prabhat Pheri
This is taken a few days before the start of the festival and processions happen early in the morning.