Press Release | April 11, 2023 | Subscribe  

ASC wishes the Sikh Nation a very happy Guru Nanak Sahibji’s Parkash Purab and Khalsa Sampurnta Divas!

The American Sikh Council (ASC) conveys its best wishes to the Sikh Nation on the most auspicious day of ‘1 Vasakh 556 Nanakshahi’ (April 14) according to the Mool Nanakshahi (Sikh) Calendar. https://americansikhcouncil.org/product/2024-2025-calendar/      

People of various religions consider their particular religious calendars to be crucial in guiding them about celebrating their historic and other religious holidays with accuracy. The unique and distinctly independent Sikh religion also has its own unique ‘Mool Nanakshahi Calendar’ (MNC). The MNC used by the Sikh nation is in the above link.

Historical records and research by several world-renowned scholars of Sikh history have shown that up till 1868 Guru Nanak Sahib’s birthday was commemorated on the 14th of April at the place of his birth, at Nankana Sahib.

However, due to political, social, economic and anti-Sikh motives, the date was changed to sometime in October-November. Those reasons are no longer valid or applicable and the date was changed back to April 14 after adopting the correct, “Mool Nanakshai Calendar,” by the command of the Akal Takhat in 2003.  Since then, anti-Sikh forces have been attempting to revert back to a date which has non-Sikh connotations, by publishing and convincing Sikhs to follow a fraudulent, "Nanakshahi Calendar,” which includes other incorrect dates which move constantly, every year.

Our current dilemma is that the SGPC is being guided by the Brahmin Pandits/anti-Sikh Scholars/Sikh Baba-derawalas, even though the Mool Nanakshai Calendar is totally scientific and made by Sikh Scholars, which is the same exact calendar which was originally approved and adopted by the Akal Takhat/SGPC in 2003, but later around 2010 was discarded due to the pro-RSS/BJP political leadership in Punjab.

The hypocrisy of the SGPC is unbelievable, as their own website https://sgpc.net/gurpurbs/ states the following; “Guru Nanak Sahib (the First Nanak, the founder of Sikhism) was born on 15th April, 1469 at Rai-Boi-di Talwandi in the present district of Shekhupura (Pakistan), now Pakistan. The Birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib falls on Kartik Puranmashi, i.e., full moon day of the month Kartik. On this day the birthday is celebrated every year.” In the first sentence the Guru Sahib’s birthday is clearly accepted and acknowledged, yet the next two sentences make no sense whatsoever and contradict the previous statement. The SGPC and the Akal Takhat continues to delude themselves and the panth.

Historically, Guru Nanak Sahib was born on 1 Vasakh and not in Katak. The Khalsa Saajna Divas was also celebrated on 1 Vasakh. https://moolnanakshahicalendar.wordpress.com/the-sikh-calendar-evolution/ because the 10^th Nanak - Guru Gobind Singhji formed the Khalsa on the exact same day by design, to celebrate the continuous ‘jot’ and to finalize a fraternity of sovereigns, the ‘Khalsa’!

This date is the backbone of our nation as on this day we learnt how to be imbued with the Guru’s love and therefore also be in love with humanity and everything around us. This is the same day when Sikhs were blessed with Piri and Miri, a principle that every Sikh is commanded to follow responsibly!

Furthermore, on such important days we must remember to always use the correct Sikh vocabulary and we should not let anybody change the terminology of our religion and heritage. For example; a ‘gurdwara’ is not a gurughar or a Sikh temple; similarly, the holy ‘Darbar Sahib’ is not a Harmandar or Hari Mandir or the Golden Temple; likewise, the ‘Jathedar’ is a political leader and must be addressed only as Jathedar and not as a high priest, etc.

The American Sikh Council (ASC) extends its sincere best wishes to the entire Sikh Nation on the two most important religious’ holidays – namely, ‘Guru Nanak Sahibji’s Parkash Purab’ and the ‘Khalsa Sampurnta Divas’, on ‘1 Vasakh 556 Nanakshahi’ (April 14, 2023)! It is not by any accident or a coincidence that the birth of the founder of the Sikh religion and the formation of the Khalsa are on the same day, but a deliberately well thought foresight of the glorious enlightener to charge us with the spirit of the truly ‘sovereign’ through ‘his’ divine revelations, so that we remember both simultaneously.

Furthermore, the cultural harvest festival celebrated in Punjab happens to be ‘Vaisakhi’ which also falls on the same day! Spring brings blossom in the environment and so does the harvesting of crops in Punjab bringing bountiful abundance to all.

Let us all remember to celebrate “1 Vasakh 556 Nanakshahi” (April 14) as very responsible Sikhs and not allow our cultural sensibilities to overpower the religious.

Once again wishing everyone a very happy ’Gurpurab’, ‘Khalsa Sampurnta Divas’ and Vaisakhi!

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The American Sikh Council is the umbrella organization representative of Sikhs in the United States. It is an elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions. Currently 76 Gurdwaras and other Sikh institutions across the nation are members of ASC. The major governing purpose of the organization is to represent the collective view of Sikhs in the United States. ASC works to promote Sikh interests at the national and international level focusing on issues of advocacy, education, and well-being of humankind.

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