Baba Guru Nanak

Baba Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism, one of the youngest religions. Guru Nanak became the first Sikh Guru and his spiritual teachings laid the foundation on which Sikhism was formed. Considered a religious innovator, Guru Nanak travelled across South Asia and Middle East to spread his teachings.

Baba Guru Nanak was born into a middle-class Hindu family and raised by his parents, Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. He spent most of his childhood with his older sister, Bebe Nanaki, as he was fond of her. As a child, Nanak went on to astound many with his intelligence and his interest towards divine subjects.

For his ‘upanayana’ ritual, he was asked to wear the sacred thread, but Nanak simply refused to wear the thread. When the priest insisted him, a young Nanak took everyone by surprise by asking for a thread that is sacred in every sense of the word.

Although there are many stories telling of the divine potentialities of the young Nanak, his main teachings and realisation are said to have begun when he reached the age of 30, around 1499. For three days, Nanak disappeared, leaving his clothes by the bank of a stream called Kali Bein. When he returned, he remained silent for a while before pronouncing he had received a vision of God’s court and had returned to lead people to this divine amrita