So we participate in all religious activities with equal enthusiasm and gaiety. And with the coming of the month of November we prepare to celebrate the birth anniversary of one of the greatest preachers of the world - Guru Nanak Dev. The first of the 10 gurus of the Sikhs and the Guru of the Sindhis, equally well-loved by the Hindus and the Muslims, he was one of the first to preach oneness of religion and secular peace. He said it was only sewa, which could lead one to achieve ultimate solace and oneness with God.

Guru Nanak was born in the year 1469. Traditionally his birthday is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, which falls in the month of November. This year it is being celebrated on November 4. He was born in Talwandi, near Lahore to Mehta Kalu and Tripta. From his childhood he had an aversion for worldliness and materialism. He enjoyed the company of saints and engaged in serious discussions with them. He abhorred rituals and believed these created rifts among different religions. His belief lay in penance and meditation of God and in love for the people. Though his parents tried to turn his mind towards the worldly and got him married and a job was given to him, these could not keep this true Son of God away from his mission. He renounced the material and took to serving the poor, the invalid and to propagate the only way to reach God. As it happens with all great men, he was put to the test by the jealous and petty society and each and every time these people learnt from their mistakes.

Based on the teachings of Guru Nanak, the Amrit Vela Mandir was started 26 years ago by his followers. The name is an apt one for this temple. It means a `holy place of early morning meditation'. Every morning devotees spend time in meditation and prayers in the temple premises where the atmosphere is at par with the peace of mind required. Every Sunday devotees arrange for lunch for poor children and about 400 children are fed. The young and the old with equal enthusiasm do the work required to make these arrangements.

A charitable clinic is also run by the mandir wherein doctors of various specialities are ready round the clock to serve those in need. And needless to say they have a long queue. The doctors are available even at odd hours and conduct operations as well as pre and post operative treatments at minimal cost. The children of the neighbourhood are a permanent fixture at the mandir. For them it is like a second home.

They spend their evenings there participating in prayers. Knowledge of the holy books is imparted to the young minds. This is to make them aware that the creator is one and we are his children. All the teachings stress on the act of sewa, that is serving those in need and the joy one gets out of it. Children right from the age of four to 18 gather here during their school or college vacations. They actively participate in all the decorations and functions held during festivals. Thus, the young mind stays away from the ill effects, which will go a long way in creating a compassionate and caring human being.

Every year the Guru Parab is celebrated with great pomp. The celebrations that began on October 25 with havan, kiran and Sahej path of Guru Granth Sahib will conclude on November 4, with the special Guru Purab programme. Celebrations will begin at 4.30 am with the Prabhat Pheri where the devotees go around the locality singing bhajans followed by the asadivar kirtan and the concluding of the Sahej Path of the Guru Granth Sahib, Langar (lunch) will follow from 12 noon till 2.30 pm. About 2,000 people partake of the langar prasad every year. From 10.30 pm onwards kirtans will be sung and at 1.20 am with Naam Dhuni and showering of flowers, the great saint's birth will be celebrated. Each year, the devotees create a different stage to announce the birth and this turns out to be quite spectacular. Hundreds come to worship this sage who imparted upon us the true values of human kind.