Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak Biography

Guru Nanak is the founder of the religion of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. He lived during the period 15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539. His birth is celebrated world-wide on Kartik Puranmashi, (the full-moon day) as Guru Nanak Gurpurab which falls on Indian month, Thulaam/Karthik and Gregorian calendar, October-November. Guru travelled worldwide preaching the message of one God who dwells in every one of God's creations. According to their religious belief, religious authority descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus. The eleventh guru, the living Guru is Guru Granth Sahib.

Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 in Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, in present day Pakistan. Now his birthplace is marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan. His parents were Kalyan Chand Das Bedi and his elder sister was Bibi Nanaki. After her marriage, as per custom he accompanied her to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband. He was 16 that time and his hymns gained popularity during that time. On 24 September 1487 Nanak married Mata Sulakkhani and has two children.

Earliest of his works are Janamsakhis (life accounts) and the Vars (expounding verses) of the scribe Bhai Gurdas. Rai Bular, the local landlord and Bibi Nanaki, Nanak's sister were the first people who recognised divine qualities of Nanak at a younger age. They both encouraged him to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at around 1499, at the age of 30, he had a vision. Seeing his clothes near the river side, everyone assumed that he was drowned. But he returned back after three days stating that he went to heaven and was given ‘Amrit’. From that point he was called Guru and the religion Sikhism was born.

His teachings are found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in Gurmukhi. Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, it’s believed that he has taken four long journeys covering Bengal and Assam in the first tour, Sri Lanka in the second, Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet in the third and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina.

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Updated: October 16, 2013