"The Palace of the Lord God is so beautiful. Within it, there are gems, rubies, pearls and flawless diamonds. A fortress of gold surrounds this Source of Nectar. How can I climb up to the Fortress without a ladder? By meditating on the Lord, through the Guru, I am blessed and exalted. The Guru is the Ladder, the Guru is the Boat, and the Guru is the Raft to take me to the Lord's Name. The Guru is the Boat to carry me across the world-ocean; the Guru is the Sacred Shrine of Pilgrimage, the Guru is the Holy River. If it pleases Him, I bathe in the Pool of Truth, and become radiant and pure." (Guru Nanak, Sri Rag, pg. 17)
The word 'Guru' in Sanskrit means teacher, honoured person, religious person or saint. Sikhism though has a very specific definition of the word 'Guru'. It means the descent of divine guidance to mankind provided through ten Enlightened Masters. This honour of being called a Sikh Guru applies only to the ten Gurus who founded the religion starting with Guru Nanak in 1469 and ending with Guru Gobind Singh in 1708; thereafter it refers to the Sikh Holy Scriptures the Guru Granth Sahib. The divine spirit was passed from one Guru to the next as "The light of a lamp which lights another does not abate. Similarly a spiritual leader and his disciple become equal, Nanak says the truth."
GURPURAB DATES FROM 1999 ONWARD |
Guru Sahib | Birthday Date | Gurgaddi Date | Jyoti Jot Date |
| Desi | New | Desi | New | Desi | New |
| 1. Guru Nanak Ji | 20 Katak | 21 Nov. | From Birth Prakash | - | 8 Asu | 22 Sept. |
| 2. Guru Angad Ji | 5 Vaisakh | 18 April | 4 Asu | 18 Sept. | 3 Vaisakh | 16 April |
| 3. Guru Amar Das Ji | 9 Jeth | 23 May | 3 Vaisakh | 16 April | 2 Asu | 16 Sept. |
| 4. Guru Ram Das Ji | 25 Asu | 9 Oct. | 2 Asu | 16 Sept. | 2 Asu | 16 Sept. |
| 5. Guru Arjun Dev Ji | 19 Vaisakh | 2 May | 2 Asu | 16 Sept. | 2 Harh | 16 June |
| 6. Guru Hargobind Ji | 21 Harh | 5 July | 28 Jeth | 11 June | 6 Chet | 19 March |
| 7. Guru Har Rai Ji | 19 Magh | 31 Jan. | 1 Chet | 14 March | 6 Katik | 20 Oct. |
| 8. Guru Har Krishan Ji | 8 Sawan | 23 July | 6 Katik | 20 Oct. | 3 Vaisakh | 16 April |
| 9. Guru Teg Bahadar Ji | 5 Vaisakh | 18 April | 3 Vaisakh | 16 April | 11 Maghar | 24 Nov. |
| 10. Guru Gobind Singh Ji | 23 Poh | 5 Jan. | 11 Maghar | 24 Nov. | 7 Katik | 21 Oct. |
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| Segments | Desi Date | New Date |
| 1. Completion of Granth Sahib Ji | 15 Bhadon | 30 Aug. |
| 2. First Prakash Granth Sahib Ji | 17 Bhadon | 1 Sept. |
| 3. Guru Gaddi Guru Granth Sahib Ji | 6 Katik | 20 Oct. |
| 4. Creatio of Khalsa | 1 Vaisakh | 14 April |
| 5. Hola Mohalla | 2 Chet | 15 March |
| 6. New Year Day | 1 Chet | 14 March |
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START OF SIKH CALENDAR MONTHS |
| Month | Start Date | Days in Month |
| Chet | 14 March | 31 |
| Vaisakh | 14 April | 31 |
| Jeth | 15 May | 31 |
| Harh | 15 June | 31 |
| Sawan | 16 July | 31 |
| Bhadon | 16 Aug. | 30 |
| Asu | 15 Sept. | 30 |
| Katik | 15 Oct. | 30 |
| Maghar | 14 Nov. | 30 |
| Poh | 14 Dec. | 30 |
| Magh | 13 Jan. | 30 |
| Phagun | 12 Feb. | 30 |
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