- Nov 5, 2017
- 95
- 41
This question arose when I was watching some Punjabi news on TV today. There were the usual men defending their defensive or opposing positions about which date should be set for the celebration of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday this year. I thought “nothing new here, let’s move on”. However, this continued to disturb my thoughts to the point that I had to address it.
I put this before you: -
Should we not be remembering these events, through the year, through our lives, as examples to follow in our daily lives anyway (with formal events in Gurudawaras on formal dates to fulfil formalities)? In any case, regardless of yes or no, what difference does it make to set this or that date? It won’t change anything. The Guru would still have been born and would still have lived his life. It won't depend on somebody deciding 500 years later, on which day he should be born. Similarly, if a person says that I do not believe in God, it does not change anything. For those who believe in the Guru, his teachings are more important than a date. It is not too different from the fact that the Guru Granth Sahib is being increasingly treated solely as an idol, disregarding the knowledge that it contains (but that’s another topic).
What do you think?
[Some Background facts that I dug up for my knowledge but which you may find useful:
One complete orbit of the Earth around the sun takes 365.25636 days. There is also a small variation called “eccentricity” of 0.0167.
The Western calendar (which we all use) is the Gregorian, based on the 365 solar days but adding extra days to the lunar month to adjust for the mismatch with 12 lunar cycles (=354 lunar days). So, for example, January is 31 days and September is 30 days with February having an adjustment in leap years.
The oldest Indian calendar, the Bikrami (Vikrami or Hindu) calendar, is based on the 12 lunar monthsbut, to compensate for the 365 solar days, it adds an extra month every few years.
The Nanakshahi calendar, in use since 1998 and approved by Akal Takht in 2003, replaced the Bikrami calendar, where the Sikh dates were concerned. It follows the tropical year (365.24166 days). It contains 5 Months of 31 days followed by 7 Months of 30 days and its start is measured from the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (thus the name, and thus New Year’s Day falls on March 14 of the Western calendar). This calendar is not accepted by some Sikh sects and in fact was rolled back in SGPC polls in 2010 and replaced with another modified new one more in line with the Bikrami calendar.
(Apologies for any incorrectness)]
I put this before you: -
Should we not be remembering these events, through the year, through our lives, as examples to follow in our daily lives anyway (with formal events in Gurudawaras on formal dates to fulfil formalities)? In any case, regardless of yes or no, what difference does it make to set this or that date? It won’t change anything. The Guru would still have been born and would still have lived his life. It won't depend on somebody deciding 500 years later, on which day he should be born. Similarly, if a person says that I do not believe in God, it does not change anything. For those who believe in the Guru, his teachings are more important than a date. It is not too different from the fact that the Guru Granth Sahib is being increasingly treated solely as an idol, disregarding the knowledge that it contains (but that’s another topic).
What do you think?
[Some Background facts that I dug up for my knowledge but which you may find useful:
One complete orbit of the Earth around the sun takes 365.25636 days. There is also a small variation called “eccentricity” of 0.0167.
The Western calendar (which we all use) is the Gregorian, based on the 365 solar days but adding extra days to the lunar month to adjust for the mismatch with 12 lunar cycles (=354 lunar days). So, for example, January is 31 days and September is 30 days with February having an adjustment in leap years.
The oldest Indian calendar, the Bikrami (Vikrami or Hindu) calendar, is based on the 12 lunar monthsbut, to compensate for the 365 solar days, it adds an extra month every few years.
The Nanakshahi calendar, in use since 1998 and approved by Akal Takht in 2003, replaced the Bikrami calendar, where the Sikh dates were concerned. It follows the tropical year (365.24166 days). It contains 5 Months of 31 days followed by 7 Months of 30 days and its start is measured from the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (thus the name, and thus New Year’s Day falls on March 14 of the Western calendar). This calendar is not accepted by some Sikh sects and in fact was rolled back in SGPC polls in 2010 and replaced with another modified new one more in line with the Bikrami calendar.
(Apologies for any incorrectness)]
