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Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026: Date, Significance and How Gurpurab Is Celebrated
Last updated: October 10, 2026
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 falls on 24 November, the 557th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru. Here is the date, his life and teachings, and how the Gurpurab is celebrated.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November. Also called Gurpurab or Prakash Purab, it marks the 557th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. It is celebrated on Kartik Purnima with Akhand Path, Nagar Kirtan, kirtan, langar and gurdwaras lit up through the night.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 date
| Detail | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Guru Nanak Jayanti / Gurpurab | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| Anniversary | 557th Prakash Purab |
| Lunar date | Kartik Purnima |
| Purnima tithi (IST, approximate) | About 11:42 pm on 23 November to 8:23 pm on 24 November |
Akhand Path usually begins two days earlier, on 22 November, so that it concludes on the morning of the Gurpurab, and Nagar Kirtan processions are often held on the day before. Local gurdwara schedules vary, so check with your gurdwara. The same full moon is celebrated by Hindus as Kartik Purnima and Dev Deepawali.
The life of Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, today Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. Even as a child he questioned empty ritual; a well-known story tells of his refusal to wear the sacred thread unless it was made of compassion, contentment, continence and truth.
As a young man he worked as a storekeeper at Sultanpur Lodhi. Tradition records that after bathing in the Kali Bein stream he disappeared for three days and returned with the words “There is no Hindu, there is no Musalman”, a declaration that God’s path is beyond sectarian labels.
He then undertook long journeys, known as the udasis, travelling across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, with his companions Bhai Mardana, a Muslim rabab player, and Bhai Bala. He sang his teachings as hymns set to music. In his later years he settled at Kartarpur on the Ravi, where a community lived by farming, prayer and shared meals. He passed away there in 1539, having named Bhai Lehna, Guru Angad, as his successor.
His 974 hymns are part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs, and his Japji Sahib opens the scripture.
The teachings of Guru Nanak
- One God: the Mool Mantar, the opening of the Guru Granth Sahib, begins Ik Onkar, “there is one Creator”, described as true, fearless, without enmity, timeless and self-existent.
- Naam Japna: remembering and meditating on God’s Name.
- Kirat Karni: earning a living honestly through one’s own work.
- Vand Chakna: sharing what one has with others, the root of the institution of langar.
- Equality: rejecting discrimination by caste, creed or gender; everyone sits together in the pangat to eat langar.
- Seva: selfless service as a form of worship.
These ideas resonate widely across Indian spiritual traditions, including the Bhakti saints of the same era.
How Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated
- Prabhat Pheris: early-morning processions singing hymns through neighbourhoods in the days leading up to the Gurpurab.
- Akhand Path: a continuous, 48-hour reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, concluding on the morning of the day.
- Nagar Kirtan: a procession led by the Panj Pyare (the five beloved ones) carrying the Nishan Sahib, with the Guru Granth Sahib in a decorated palanquin, kirtan and displays of gatka (Sikh martial art).
- Asa di Var: the day begins in the early hours with this morning kirtan, followed by katha (discourse) and hymns in praise of the Guru.
- Langar: free community meals are served to everyone, regardless of background.
- Lights and celebration: gurdwaras and homes are illuminated, and in many places celebrations continue late into the night, around the traditional time of Guru Nanak’s birth.
Major celebrations are held at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, at Sultanpur Lodhi, at Kartarpur Sahib and at Sri Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) in Amritsar.
Visiting a gurdwara on Gurpurab
Visitors of every faith are welcome. Cover your head, remove your shoes, wash your hands and feet, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and sit on the floor in the darbar hall and the langar hall. Offering seva in the langar kitchen is a meaningful way to take part.
Guru Nanak Jayanti falls in a full late-autumn calendar; see the list of Indian festivals in 2026 for every faith’s major dates, and the Hindu festival calendar 2026 for Hindu observances.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Guru Nanak Jayanti in 2026?
Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. It is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of Kartik; Purnima tithi runs from about 11:42 pm on 23 November to 8:23 pm on 24 November (IST).
Which Guru Nanak Jayanti is it in 2026?
2026 marks the 557th birth anniversary (Prakash Purab) of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was born in 1469.
Where was Guru Nanak born?
Guru Nanak was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib, near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. Gurdwara Janam Asthan marks the place of his birth.
How is Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrated?
Celebrations include Prabhat Pheris in the weeks before, an Akhand Path (an unbroken 48-hour reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) ending on the day, a Nagar Kirtan procession led by the Panj Pyare, early-morning Asa di Var kirtan, katha, langar for all, and illuminated gurdwaras at night.
What are Guru Nanak's main teachings?
His teaching is often summarised in three principles: Naam Japna (remembering God's Name), Kirat Karni (earning an honest living) and Vand Chakna (sharing with others). He taught the oneness of God, the equality of all people, and service over empty ritual.
Why is Guru Nanak Jayanti on Kartik Purnima?
Sikh tradition has long celebrated Guru Nanak's birth on the full moon of Kartik, and the Gurpurab follows that lunar date, so its Gregorian date changes each year. Some historians and early janamsakhi accounts place his birth in Vaisakh (April) 1469, but the celebration remains on Kartik Purnima.