Multi-Faith Celebration of Guru Nanak Jayanthi
A multi-faith programme, “Guru Vandana”, promoting inter-religious dialogue on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanthi was jointly organised by Karnataka Regional Inter-religious Dialogue Commission (KRIDC), Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and World Organisation on Religions and Knowledge (WORK) at Subodhana, Bengaluru on 16 November, 2025. The programme began with an inter-religious prayer by Ms. Halima, the Secretary of the Women’s wing of WORK in Karnataka Region, who quoted and chanted texts from the Holy Scriptures of different religions. Fr. Vinay Kumar, Secretary of KRIDC, welcomed the gathering by extolling the values espoused by Guru Nanak and its relevance in today’s world. The programme included a Kirtan, a soulful rendition of devotional hymns in praise of Guru Nanak and messages on the life, teachings and legacy of Guru Nanak by different religious leaders. Mr. Zafarul Hassan from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, explained the similarities in the values Islam and Sikhism and the many texts in the the Koran that exhorts followers to respect other faiths. Sr. Lalith SJT shared words of appreciation for inter-religious initiatives to promote social harmony. Mr. Harjinder Singh Bhatti from Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Ulsoor, explained the key tenets of the Sikh faith and the teachings of Guru Nanak. Finally, Dr. Denzil Fernandes SJ, Head of the Department of Peace and Reconciliation at ISI Bengaluru, reminded the gathering that all religions shared similar values and there is a need to promote human fraternity. The highlight of the programme was the presentation of the message of the Vatican Dicastery on Inter-religious Dialogue titled “Christians and Sikhs: Promoting Fraternity together in the spirit of Nostra Aetate” on the occasion of Guru Nanak Prakash Diwas 2025 by Bishop Joseph Susainathan, Chairman of KRIDC. The Guru Vandana programme was a meaningful expression of inter-religious cooperation and commitment by different faiths to work together for peace and social harmony.