The Sikh community’s religious festival, ‘Guru Granth Sahib Ji Prakash Utsav’, was celebrated on the streets of London. As in previous years, Sikhs living in Britain organized a celebratory procession, prayers, and food distribution to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh—the religious leader and author of their holy scripture, the *Guru Granth Sahib*.According to the Sikh calendar, the day is celebrated annually on September 6th. According to Sikh tradition, the day is observed as the Nagar Kirtan Prakash Utsav.
This year’s event was somewhat unique. Sikh men, women, and children from various cities across Britain gathered at the Barking Gurdwara—a Sikh place of worship—at 8:00 AM London time. After the congregational prayer there, they set out in a rally towards Goodmayes. The rally concluded in front of Goodmayes Gurdwara, where food was distributed to everyone; the event continued until 5 PM.
Harpas Singh, a member of the new generation born in Britain, says that according to the Sikh faith, distributing food to everyone on this day earns spiritual merit. In the hope of earning spiritual merit, some distribute food among everyone through organized efforts, while others do so individually. He further added that true virtue lies not in hatred, but in viewing everyone equally, regardless of religion or caste. They organize such programs every year with this very objective. Apart from followers of the Sikh faith, many people from Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim communities participated in this year’s festival.
