Gurpurab

Plant manager Jay Brooks and the team at Romford Mail Centre held an event to celebrate the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Guru Nanak was the founder and first Guru of Sikhism. He was born in the year 1469, in the village of Talwandi, which is located in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. The village, now known as Nankana Sahib, is situated near the city of Lahore in present day Pakistan. Sikhism is still based on Guru Nanak’s teachings and those of the nine Sikh Gurus who followed him.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab is the festival celebrating Guru Nanak's birthday. The word 'Gurpurab' is a mixture of the word Guru, which means 'teacher', and Purab which means 'festival' or 'celebration' in Punjabi.

Sikhs around the world celebrate the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth on the Pooranmashi (full moon) day in the lunar month of Katak (October-November), which falls on a different date every year.

‘One of the three pillars of Sikhism is to “share your resources,”’ said Jay. ‘That was certainly done on this occasion with several colleagues taking the time to cook different dishes to share with everyone who came. There was a great feel to the event with colleagues of all faiths integrating well to celebrate.’

OPG, Mina Dhugga, said: ‘Guru Nanak Dev Ji was a humanitarian and believed in equality for all. He started the concept of “Langar” – the term used in Sikhism for the community kitchen, where a free meal is served to all visitors, without distinction of religion, caste, gender, economic status or ethnicity – which can still be found in every single Sikh gurdwara across the world.

‘That’s why on his milestone 550th birthday, it felt appropriate and was important to the Sikh community here that we spread his message among colleagues by providing food for everyone to share. There was a great feeling of unity with all involved and I felt it brought everyone together regardless of faith or background.’

OPG, Parminder Bansal, said: ‘As the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message was all about humanity and equality. His birthday is celebrated across the world and so we wanted to spread the same message. We were really pleased that everyone came and took part in respecting the Sikh religion. I feel proud to work for Royal Mail because they gave us the opportunity to share our Guru’s message.’

OPG, Joginder Pal Singh, said: ‘Guru Nanak’s birthday holds great significance for the Sikh community. I feel deeply humbled by the compassion and care shown by everyone who worked hard to make this event a success. It was well planned, well organised and well received by everyone. It has truly been a pleasure and a wonderful experience to attend the event, which I will remember for a very long time. I would like to extend my thanks to the managerial team for their support and encouragement.’