Special commemoration events were held across Sikh temples and gurdwaras in Italy this past weekend to mark the 350th anniversary of the martyrdom of the ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur.
Gurdwaras in Rome, Milan, Verona, Reggio Emilia, and several other cities organized special akhand paths to observe the occasion. Following Sikh Rehet Maryada, based on the tradition of 25 Singhs reciting Gurbani continuously from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, gurdwaras concluded the paths with special kirtan durbars.
This Rehet Maryada, initiated by the tenth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, at Damdama Sahib, continues to be observed at most Sikh places of worship in Italy.
According to Prithipal Singh, president of the World Sikh Soldiers Yadgar Committee, a special “congregation” was organized by Sri Guru Singh Sabha Novel Lara in the Reggio Emilia province.
Advertisement
The program included discourses on the life, teachings, and supreme sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur. Speakers included Bhai Talwinder Singh and the raghi jatha led by Bhai Jagmohan Singh, who addressed the gathering during the commemorative ceremony.
Following the religious observances, devotees joined together for langar, the community kitchen, and offered prayers for communal harmony, universal brotherhood, peace, and amity.
Additional special events were also organized at Guru Ravi Dass Sabha, Verona Sikh Temple, and other gurdwaras throughout the country, reflecting a unified observance by the Sikh community in Italy.
