Guru Nanak Gurpurab 2026: Wishes in Punjabi, What to Say at the Gurdwara, and How It's Celebrated

"Happy Gurpurab" in Punjabi is Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan (ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ) — "a hundred thousand congratulations on the Gurpurab" — or, more fully, Guru Nanak Dev Ji de Prakash Purab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan. The birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026 (the full moon of the month of Kattak; confirm the date with your gurdwara). It is the most important day in the Sikh calendar: two weeks of dawn processions, a 48-hour unbroken reading of the scripture, a street procession and langar for everyone. Here's what to say, how to reply, and what to expect.

Gurpurab Wishes in Punjabi

Wish	Gurmukhi	Meaning
Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan	ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ	Happy Gurpurab (the standard greeting)
Guru Nanak Dev Ji de Prakash Purab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan	ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ	Congratulations on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birth anniversary (formal)
Tuhanu te tuhade parivaar nu Gurpurab diyan vadhaaiyan	ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਤੇ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ	Happy Gurpurab to you and your family
Guru Nanak Dev Ji sab te mehar karan	ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਸਭ ਤੇ ਮਿਹਰ ਕਰਨ	May Guru Nanak bless everyone
Guru Nanak Dev Ji di kirpa tuhade te bani rahe	ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ 'ਤੇ ਬਣੀ ਰਹੇ	May Guru Nanak's grace remain upon you
Dhan Guru Nanak!	ਧੰਨ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ!	"Blessed is Guru Nanak!" — the exclamation you'll hear all day
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh	ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ	The formal Sikh greeting, used at the gurdwara

To reply: Tuhanu vi lakh lakh vadhaaiyan (ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ — "a hundred thousand congratulations to you too"), or simply Dhan Guru Nanak. Pronunciation: gur-PURB dee-AAN lukh lukh vuh-DHAA-ee-aan. The same pattern — [festival] diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — works for Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas, Vaisakhi and Lohri; see our guide to congratulations in Punjabi.

When Is Gurpurab in 2026?

Guru Nanak's Prakash Purab is celebrated on Kattak di Puranmashi, the full moon of the lunar month of Kattak (Kartik), which in 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November. Because it follows the lunar calendar the date moves each year (it was 5 November in 2025), and a few gurdwaras follow a different calendar, so check with yours. Celebrations start well before the day itself: Prabhat Pheris begin about two weeks ahead, the Akhand Path begins two days before so that it ends on the morning of the Gurpurab, and the Nagar Kirtan procession is usually held the day before. In the diaspora, gurdwaras often shift the big events to the nearest weekend.

Who Was Guru Nanak?

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469–1539) was born in Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab, and became the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. He taught that there is one God for all — Ik Onkar (ੴ), the opening of the Sikh scripture — that every human being is equal regardless of caste, gender or faith, and that a good life rests on three things: Naam Japo (remember God), Kirat Karo (earn an honest living) and Vand Chhako (share what you have). He travelled for decades across South Asia and, by Sikh tradition, as far as Mecca and Baghdad, debating and teaching, and he founded the practice of langar, the free kitchen where everyone eats together on the same floor. He settled at Kartarpur, where he died in 1539. His 974 hymns are the foundation of the Guru Granth Sahib.

How Gurpurab Is Celebrated

Tradition	Gurmukhi	What it is
Prabhat Pheri	ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤ ਫੇਰੀ	Early-morning processions through the neighbourhood singing hymns, held daily for about two weeks before the Gurpurab
Akhand Path	ਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ	A continuous, unbroken 48-hour reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib by relay readers, timed to end on the morning of the Gurpurab
Nagar Kirtan	ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ	The street procession: the Guru Granth Sahib on a decorated float, led by the Panj Pyare (five beloved ones) and the Nishan Sahib flag, with kirtan, gatka martial-arts displays and free food along the route
Kirtan and Katha	ਕੀਰਤਨ, ਕਥਾ	Devotional singing and discourses on Guru Nanak's life through the day
Langar	ਲੰਗਰ	The free community meal, served to everyone — on Gurpurab, often all day and into the street
Deepmala	ਦੀਪਮਾਲਾ	Lamps and lights decorating gurdwaras and homes in the evening
Jaikara	ਜੈਕਾਰਾ	The rousing call-and-response: "Jo Bole So Nihal!" — "Sat Sri Akaal!"

If this is your first time inside a gurdwara, our first-visit guide covers what to wear, what to do and what to say.

Gurpurab in Canada, the UK and the US

Gurpurab is a public celebration wherever Punjabis have settled. Gurdwaras in Brampton, Surrey, Southall, Birmingham, Leicester, Fremont and Yuba City hold Akhand Paths, deepmala and langar over the Gurpurab weekend, and many cities see a Nagar Kirtan procession through the streets. Workplaces and schools in Canada and the UK increasingly mark the day — in Ontario and British Columbia it's one of the dates colleagues will wish each other on. Greet Sikh friends and co-workers with Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan; it will be noticed and appreciated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say Happy Gurpurab in Punjabi?

Gurpurab diyan lakh lakh vadhaaiyan (ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ). The reply is tuhanu vi lakh lakh vadhaaiyan — "to you too".

When is Guru Nanak Gurpurab in 2026?

Tuesday 24 November 2026, the full moon of Kattak. The Akhand Path begins two days earlier and the Nagar Kirtan is usually the day before; confirm with your local gurdwara, as calendars differ slightly.

What is the difference between Gurpurab and Diwali?

Gurpurab marks the birth of Guru Nanak and falls about two weeks after Diwali. On Diwali itself Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind from imprisonment. Both involve lamps, langar and gurdwara visits; the stories are different.

What do you do at a gurdwara on Gurpurab?

Cover your head, remove your shoes, bow to the Guru Granth Sahib, sit for the kirtan and katha, stand for the Ardas, receive karah prasad and eat langar. Many people also join the Nagar Kirtan procession and help with sewa.

Celebrate Gurpurab in Punjabi

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