People of all faiths and walks of life came together in Cardiff yesterday to celebrate the 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Around five hundred people turned up for the event at the Julian Hodge Building at Cardiff University to celebrate the birth of the first of the ten Sikh gurus.
It is the first major event in the UK celebrating the anniversary and was organised by the Indian government in collaboration with the Sikh Council of Wales.
The High Commissioner of India HE Ruchi Gunshyam was joined by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, the head of the Sikh Council of Wales Gurmit Singh Randhawa MBE, and the Indian Honorary Consul General Raj Aggarwal OBE
The event included performances from children from various Sikh temples in Wales doing Kirtan (chanting), Kavita (Hindi poetry) and Sakhi (recounting of events in Sikh history) and there was an authentic vegetarian buffet afterwards.
There were also various officers from the armed forces in attendance as well as the Assistant chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan, Vice Lord Lieutenant Sir Brooke Boothsby, and Professor James Hegarty of Cardiff University who delivered a speech on the principles of Guru Nanak Ji’s teachings.
Anahat Kaur (pink) and sister Kudrat Kaur (blue) Both at Cardiff College studying Medicine
Indian diplomat Raj Aggarwal said: “It was a beautiful ceremony and celebration. The diaspora in Wales are hard-working and prosperous and are an amazing asset to the country.
"This is a huge anniversary for all Indians in Wales and it was especially fantastic that it is open up to people of all religious faiths to come and share such a joyous occasion and for all communities in Wales to come together to enjoy our wonderfully diverse and inclusive society.”
And he added: “It was one of the first of many huge celebrations organised all over the world for the 550th birth anniversary of Nanak Dev Ji and all of India and the world will share with the joyous celebrations of this amazing landmark.”
Gurmit Singh Randhawa, President of the Sikh Council of Wales said: “The message for today was simple, and is one of communities coming together and celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who stood for the poor and down trodden people in up holding the principles of justice, equality and freedom for all.”
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