AMRITSAR: A colourful religious procession `Nagar Kirtan’ was today organized by Khalsa educational institutions under Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) to mark the 551st Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Covid-19 cast a long shadow over the march as the participation was cut down from 30, 000 students to bare minimum merely by the management in the scaled down ceremony.
Only the teaching, non-teaching and select senior classes students took part in the religious procession as per KCGC’s century old practice to celebrate the Gurpurab annually. The march which took off from historic Khalsa College however reached Golden Temple amidst much-fanfare, hymn singing and religious fervour. The participants forming queues by keeping social-distancing, chanted holy hymns from Gurbani and paraded through various parts of the city to pay obeisance at Harmandar Sahib.
The display of Gatkas (Sikh martial art), music of the bands, PT Show and beating of the drums was witnessed but in a scaled down manner. The procession, led by the decorated palanquin in which the Guru Granth Sahib was placed, had the participants clad in colourful dresses and attires as they held prayers at Aka Takht to culminate the march.
The Panj Piaras (five beloveds), the top management functionaries, Principals and staff passed through GT Road, Putlighar, Railway Station, Bhandari Bridge, Hall Gate, Hall Bazar, Kotwali and finally reached at Ghanta Ghar outside the Golden Temple precincts. Though an annual feature, the procession is different this time due to the coronavirus restrictions leading to lesser gathering, said KCGC honouarry secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina.
He said the procession was aimed to highlight the philosophy and teachings of Guru Nanak, which advocated universal brotherhood, humanity and peaceful co-existence. They appealed all to follow the teachings of the Guru.
The parade also highlighted the protection of environment and checking pollution as no plastic was used throughout the procession. The volunteers from NCC and NSS cleaned the roads through which the procession passed. Chhina and KCA Principal Dr. Mehal Singh thanked the district ministration for all the help extended for the successful completion of the parade.
KCGC Joint Secretary Ajmer Singh Heir, Sardool Singh Mannan, Rajbir Singh, Members Lakhwinder Singh Dhillon, Sukhdev Singh Abdal, Gurpreet Singh Gill, Principals Dr. R. K. Dhawan, Dr. Manju Bala, Dr. Surinderpal Kaur Dhillon, Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Dr. Kamaljit Kaur, Dr. H. B. Singh, Dr. Jaspal Singh, Dr. Manpreet Kaur, Dr. Inderjit Singh Gogoani, S. Nanak Singh, Dr. Kawaljit Singh, S. A. S. Gill, Puneet Kaur Nagpal, Nirmal Kaur, Gurinderjit Kaur, Under Secretary D. S. Rataul, Other.