Thousands of Sikh community members participated in the 27th Nagar Kirtan (Sikh Parade) enthusiastically and passionately.
Hosted by the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand on Saturday (November 5), the annual parade took place from Otahuhu Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji on Princess Street. It saw the community members take a walk around the business and residential areas of South Auckland before returning to the Gurudwara premises.
The annual Nagar Kirtan celebrates the gurpurab (Birth anniversary) of the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev ji.
For the uninitiated, Nagar means a suburb, town or city. Kirtan refers to the singing of Gurbani. Nagar Kirtan is a religious procession conducted by the Sikh community that involves community members of all ages singing holy hymns and bringing the message of Guru Granth Sahib to the community's doorstep. It endeavours to spread Guru's message of love and inter-faith harmony.
The community members dressed in ethnic Indian clothing gathered at the Gurudwara for the kirtan from 10 am to noon. Following the same, the parade commenced at 12;30 pm with trucks and trailers decorated with flowers and banners housing priests and childrens singing religious hymns throughout the journey.
The event marked a beautiful display of Sikh religion, culture and traditions. While Sikh youths presented Gatka, the 'Sikh Martial Art', through the route, women sang the hymns in chorus while the procession was in place. The parade was led by saffron-robed Panj Piare (the five beloved of the Guru), who were followed by the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy Sikh Scripture, which was placed on the main float. The procession concluded at the Gurudwara with Ardas (prayer) and food.
Hundreds of volunteers also marshalled the road and paved the way for the procession in a way that did not obstruct the passing traffic. The volunteers were also joined by Auckland Traffic Management and many NZ Police personnel, helping to create a way for the vehicles and the procession. The volunteers distributed snacks and soft drinks to the onlookers and pedestrians on the street and spoke to the people about Sikhism.
"We hosted the first Nagar Kirtan event in 1996 in NZ and have been doing it annually since then. It has been 27 years since this has been organised, and I am so proud that we see increased participation from the Sikh community every year. The idea of hosting Nagar Kirtan is to convey the message of Sikhism to our ethnically diverse community members. I want to thank everyone who came and participated in Nagar Kirtan,” Daljit Singh President of the NZ Central Sikh Association who initially start to hold the Nagar Kirtan in 1996 told The Indian Weekender.
Mr Singh added that Nagar Kirtan is practised by the Sikh community all over the globe. The purpose of this event is to spread the word and teachings of the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, not just with the Sikh people but also with the broader community.
The devotees, too, felt fantastic about taking part in the Nagar Kirtan and taking the blessings of Guru Granth's Sahib.
One of the devotees, Ravneet Kaur, who came from Hamilton, said, " I felt blessed to be able to take part in the Nagar Kirtan. I feel especially for our kids; we must attend such events where they can know and connect to our rich Sikh culture and religion."
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