Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau

Chandigarh University: Special lecture on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Udasis organized to celebrate 555th birth anniversary

Guru Nanak Dev Ji spread message of Universal Brotherhood, Peaceful Co-existence during his Udasis: MP Rajya Sabha Satnam Singh Sandhu

Babushahi Bureau

Mohali (Punjab), November 14, 2024 – On the auspicious occasion of 555th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, a special lecture on ‘The Dialogue of Enlightenment: Travellings (Udasian) of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’ was organized by Guru Nanak Chair for Studies in Universal Advancement (an institution dedicated to Sikh religious research) at Chandigarh University on Thursday.

While Professor Karamtej Singh Sarao, former head, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi was the chief guest on the occasion, Professor Harpal Singh Pannu, Chairperson, Guru Nanak Chair, CU among other dignitaries attended the event and listened to the Gurbani.

Chandigarh University students performed ‘ardas’ for ‘Sarbat Da Bhala’ (welfare of all) and Chardi Kala (rising spirit) of all.

Shedding light on the Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Udasis during his lifetime, in his keynote address, Professor, Karamtej Singh Sarao said, “As part of my research on Buddhism, I travelled different corners of the world. During one of my visits, I came to know about an ancient Hindu temple in Baku city of Azerbaijan. I saw there was a small, round and dome-shaped sanctum sanctorum and Mul Mantra (Gurmukhi’s divine text) was inscribed on one of the walls. When I asked the natives they said centuries ago, a saint from India had come there whose name was Nanak Lama. After extensive research I found that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had visited this place and later many other saints also travelled there. As Sikh community was not present at that place, the place was subjected to oblivion, but it has been rediscovered again now. This place is also called fire temple by natives.”

“Many people termed my research findings as myth but there is ample evidence available that can substantiate that Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited this place during his 4th Odyssey. I will show findings of my research to SGPC and request them to take requisite steps for proper caretaking of this place with immense historical and religious significance for Sikhs.

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chancellor of Chandigarh University Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “The first Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji devoted his life for the selfless service of others and spread the message of universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence of all. His philosophy of life was: Naam Japo, Kirat Karo and Vand Chakko (keep One God in your heart, work hard and live an honest life with high moral and spiritual values and share and consume food, possessions, wealth and talent). He lived his entire life by the Sikh teaching of Sarbat Da Bhala (Welfare of All) and spread it different corners of the world during his Udasis. Guru Saahib spent the final years of his life in Kartarpur (now in Pakistan) and worked there to send the message of Kirat Karo.”

Expressing gratitude to PM Modi for opening the Kartarpur Corridor, Sandhu said, “The prayers of every Sikh community member for the past 70 years were answered finally in 2019, when under Modi government, the Kartarpur corridor was opened and for the first time in the history of free India, the Sikh pilgrims got the opportunity to visit the final resting place of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. Owing to the strong emotional bond he shares with Sikh community; Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only opened the corridor to the Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan but also facilitated visa-free access to the historic Sikh shrine.”

On this occasion, Chairperson of Guru Nanak Chair of Chandigarh University and prominent writer of Punjabi, Professor Harpal Singh Pannu said, “Guru Saahib’s life not only teaches us to guard the truth, but it also dispels our ignorance and show the path of enlightenment. The experiences of Guru Nanak Dev Ji during his Udasis tells us that Guru is one and he is for everyone. At that time Devnagri and Persian scripts were quite popular and he could have written Gurbani in these scripts but he invented Gurmukhi script.”

To conduct research on Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s life and teachings, Guru Nanak Chair for Studies in Universal Advancement was established to mark the 550th Birth Anniversary celebrations in 2019.

The main objective of introducing Guru Nanak Chair was to spread the teaching of the Guru world over. In the past five years, the chair has published many books on Sikh religion including ‘Shalok Arthalwali Mehla 1 ke’ and conferences on gender equality, women empowerment and on Gurbani (Sikh religious text) were also organized.

Under Guru Nanak Chair, many special lectures on Sikhism, seminars, webinars and educational competitions (Sikhism) have been conducted. Under the chair, 9 event-to-event podcasts and 6 national-level podcasts were organized on Sikh values and teachings.

As part of UGC project, Punjabi Bhasha Samvardhan Samiti (PBSS) under the Guru Nanak Chair as many as 6 proposals have been passed for inclusion in the curriculum.

Moreover, under the chair, a Youtube channel named Surtal has been started which got tremendous response. In last 5 years, many pilgrimages have been organized by under the aegis of Guru Nanak Chair, Chandigarh University.

MP Rajya Sabha Satnam Singh Sandhu and Karamtej Singh Sarao, former head, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Delhi distributed prizes to the winners of the Reel competition based on Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s life. Later, langar (community kitchen) was also served on the occasion.