By Mata Press Service

Sikhs around the world celebrated the 550th birth anniversary of their founder, Guru Nanak, marking the occasion in a myriad of ways by planting trees, lighting a mega candle and with a historical pilgrimage to his birthplace in what is now Pakistan.

In a rare example of cooperation between India and Pakistan, a secure visa-free land corridor was created to allow up to 5,000 pilgrims a day to travel straight to the temple from the Indian side.

Around 12,000 Sikhs from 68 countries, including the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and India participated in the inauguration ceremony.

Many came from around the world to head to the shrine of Guru Nanak, which lies in Kartarpur, a small town just 4km (two miles) over the Pakistan side of the border, one of Sikhism’s holiest sites

For up to 30 million Sikhs around the world, the shrine, a white-domed building, has remained out-of-reach for decades.

When Pakistan was carved out of colonial India during independence from Britain in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the western side of the border, while most of the region's Sikhs remained on the other side.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the historic Kartarpur Corridor last week.

“First of all, I congratulate the Sikh community on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, and welcome you all. I pay tribute to those who made this dream possible,” Khan said.

Indian Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the corridor on his country’s side thanking all associated with the corridor, including Khan, “for understanding Indian sentiments”.

Here in British Columbia, Premier John Horgan also praised Guru Nanak for challenging inequality, emphasizing that he was "ahead of his time".

“As Sikhs across Canada and around the world celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the founder of their faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, we are proud to see British Columbia as a home to one of the world’s major religions, with a thriving, vibrant Sikh community," Horgan said.

The highlight of the celebrations in B.C. was the lighting of a giant candle last Friday night at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib.

The candle has three wicks, stands 68 centimetres high and weighs 15 kilograms. It's made of vegan soy wax, organic mustard seed oil and jasmine extract.

For Harbinder Singh Sewak, who commissioned the project, the Light of Life candle’s eco-friendly aspect is particularly important.

“One of the foundations of Sikhism is to honour all of creation,” said Sewak, the CEO of alooatta.com, an eco-friendly gift business in Surrey

“Guru Nanak emphasized a deep reverence for all creation. We should honour all of life, for life honours us with its gifts. To respect the environment is to respect the creator,” added Sewak, who is also the founding publisher of the South Asian Post newspaper.

The candle was lit by Sewak, Giani Narinder Singh, High Priest at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib and Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. Premier Horgan also sent the organisers a congratulatory message.

The following day, on Saturday morning, more than 20,000 people joined  a procession through the streets of Surrey, a Sikh custom known as a Nagar Kirtan.

In Washington, DC, top US lawmakers introduced resolutions in the Congress, recognising the historical, cultural and religious significance of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev and honouring the contributions of Sikh-Americans to the country.

The resolutions said that Sikhs in the US and around the world live the values and ideals of equality, service, and devotion to the God, first preached by Guru Nanak Dev.

The resolution in the Senate was introduced on Friday by three Democratic Senators, Dick Durbin, Bob Menendez, and Ben Cardin. In the House of Representatives, it has been introduced by Congressmen Greg Pence from the Republican Party and Peter Visclosky from the Democratic Party.

People around the world also planted 550 trees in their respective communities to celebrate the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak's birth, said global EcoSikh founder Rajwant Singh.

The Guru Nanak 550 Eco-Candle

is on display at the

Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib

15255 68 Avenue Surrey, British Columbia

contact@alooatta.com