Guru Parv 2025: Not just a festival, the biggest festival to connect hearts, know the true meaning of date and langar.

The sweet sound of Gurbani coming from the Gurudwaras, the relief on the faces of the people serving, and the experience of tasting langar while sitting together in a queue… this is Guru Nanak Jayanti, which we all fondly call Guru Parv. It is one of the largest and most sacred festivals of Sikhism, celebrated as the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

This day is not just for celebration, but for remembering the biggest lessons of service, devotion and humanity.

When is Guru Nanak Jayanti 2025?

This year, the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be celebrated on 5 November 2025, Wednesday. According to the Hindu calendar, this date falls on the full moon day of Kartik month every year.

• Auspicious time: Purnima Tithi will start from 10:36 pm on 4th November and will continue till 6:48 pm on 5th November. This entire time is considered extremely auspicious for worship, recitation and service.

How is Guru Parva celebrated?

The celebration of Guru Parva starts two-three days in advance.

• In Gurudwaras, Akhand Path continues for 48 hours, in which Guru Granth Sahib is recited without any pause.
• Grand Nagar Kirtans are organized in the cities, in which people share the messages of Guru Ji while singing bhajans and kirtans.
• The day is started early in the morning by taking out Prabhat pheris in the memory of the Guru.

But the soul of Guru Parva resides in ‘Langar’.

Have you ever wondered why and how this tradition started?
This is from the 1500s, when the society was badly divided in the name of caste and religion. Some were high, some were low. Then Guru Nanak Dev Ji started langar to break this wall of discrimination.

Langar does not just mean free food, it really means equality. It is a place where there is no king, no poor. No Hindu, no Muslim. Everyone, irrespective of religion, caste or wealth, sits together in a row on the ground and eats food as Prasad.

This tradition is still being followed in Gurudwaras across the world and reminds us that we are all children of one God and there is no religion greater than humanity.