New Delhi, November 4: On Tuesday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, along with fellow judges of the Supreme Court, participated in a community 'langar' at the Supreme Court canteen to mark the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Also present was the CJI-designate, Justice Surya Kant. The event brought together judges and court staff, highlighting the spiritual and communal essence of the celebration.

Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as 'Gurpurab,' is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Guru of Sikhism. Celebrated annually on the full moon day of the Kartik month, also called Kartik Purnima, the festival is a time for prayers, devotional songs, and acts of community service. The day is observed as Parkash Utsav, marking the birth of Guru Nanak, with celebrations continuing throughout the day at gurdwaras, often late into the night.

In a related development, a group of 1,796 Sikh pilgrims from India will visit Pakistan on November 5 to honor Guru Nanak's birth anniversary. The pilgrims will pay their respects at historic gurdwaras, entering Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border. Expressing their gratitude, several members of the jatha thanked the government for allowing them to make the pilgrimage. "We thank the government for giving us the chance to visit and perform darshan," said one pilgrim.

Harpreet Singh, another pilgrim, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to facilitate the visit and suggested that the visa process be simplified to enable more devotees to participate in future pilgrimages. "The jatha is lucky to visit places connected to Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Most visas were processed this time, and we are grateful to the governments involved," added Gadgaj, a member of the jatha.

Earlier, the Pakistan High Commission confirmed the issuance of over 2,100 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for the Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrations.