A special event to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, hosted at the University of Wolverhampton
A special event to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was hosted at the University of Wolverhampton on Thursday 28th 2019.
The event, co-hosted by the University’s Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies and the Consulate General of India in Birmingham, featured speeches by prominent members of the community.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi (present day Nankana Sahib in Pakistan) in 1469, and the event highlighted various aspects of his life, his teachings and how he continues to be an inspiration for millions of Sikhs and non-Sikhs across the world.
Andy Street Mayor of the West Midlands
The event in the Chancellor’s Hall featured speeches by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, Mr Charanjit Singh, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK and Dr Aman Puri, Consulate General of India in Birmingham. Prominent speakers also included Baba Amar Singh ji, Bhai Mohinder Singh ji, Lord Suri, Dr Rami Ranger and Neena Gill MEP.
Neena Gill MEP
President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, Ninder Johal, opened the event, which was also attended by Mayor of Telford and Wrekin Council Councillor Raj Mehta.
There were also contributions from the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer and Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, Director of the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the event on Thursday, 28 March 2019.
Dr Takhar and Dr Aman Puri, Consulate General of India in Birmingham.
Dr Takhar said: “We were delighted to celebrate the 550th Gurpurab (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru of the Sikhs.
“The speeches presented at our event highlighted various aspects of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s life, his teachings and how he continues to be an inspiration for millions of Sikhs and non-Sikhs across the world. His teaching of the immanence of the Divine, Waheguru, upholds the key Sikh principle of egalitarianism which rejects discrimination in any form whatsoever.”
The Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies is the first of its kind in Europe and opened in March 2018.
The full set of photographs have been uploaded to the Punjab2000 facebook page
Nash Aujla