Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 · Amritsar Festival Guide

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026: Amritsar and the Golden Temple at Its Brightest

By Beauty of Bharat · Published 5 November 2026

By Beauty of Bharat — India travel guide, every place, every flavour.

Guides covering all 36 States and UTs, researched from official sources and checked at publish time. Corrections welcome — see About Beauty of Bharat.

What does a shrine look like when a whole city lights it up at once? On Guru Nanak Jayanti, the Golden Temple answers: lamps along the marble walkways, fireworks over the sarovar, gold doubled in the water below. Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November, the full-moon day of Kartik, marking the 557th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, founder of Sikhism. This guide covers the date, the three days of celebration, and how to visit the Golden Temple on the day itself.

In brief: arrive by 23 November for the Nagar Kirtan, spend 24 November at the Golden Temple, take langar at midday, and return after dark.

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 at a glance

If Amritsar is new to you, start with the Amritsar guide. For the city's other festival night, read our Bandi Chhor Divas guide.

When is Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026?

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The date is consistent across the sources that matter: Incredible India's official festival listing gives Tuesday, 24 November 2026; the Government of India and Punjab Government holiday lists agree; and Drik Panchang places Kartik Purnima on that date — the Purnima tithi runs from 11:42 PM on Monday, 23 November to 8:23 PM on Tuesday, 24 November (New Delhi timings). It is a public holiday in Punjab and Chandigarh. A few secondary listings carry the wrong weekday — trust the official lists.

Who was Guru Nanak — and why this day matters

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, born in 1469 at Talwandi — today Nankana Sahib in Pakistan — was the founder of Sikhism and the first of its ten Gurus. His teaching, summed up in Ik Onkar, one God, and in three instructions — naam japo (remember the divine name), kirat karo (earn an honest living) and vand chhakko (share what you have) — put equality and service at the centre of the faith. The langar, the free kitchen feeding everyone regardless of faith, caste or means, grows out of that teaching.

Tradition holds that Guru Nanak was born at about 1:20 in the morning — which is why kirtan runs through the night on Gurpurab. That is traditional belief, not documented record.

How Amritsar celebrates: three days around 24 November

Akhand Path — the 48-hour reading (from 22 November)

The celebrations open with the Akhand Path, a continuous 48-hour reading of the whole Guru Granth Sahib. It begins two days before the anniversary and ends on the morning of the day itself.

Nagar Kirtan — the procession (23 November)

On the day before Gurpurab, the Nagar Kirtan moves through the streets: a procession led by the Panj Pyare, the Five Beloved Ones, carrying the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag, with the Guru Granth Sahib borne in a palanquin, devotees singing shabad kirtan, and displays of gatka, the Sikh martial art. In Amritsar it winds through the old city, with free chai and langar stalls along the route.

The day itself — 24 November

On Gurpurab the day begins before dawn with Prabhat Pheri, early-morning processions, and Amrit Vela prayers at the Golden Temple. Through the day there is kirtan and katha — hymns and stories from the Guru's life — and the langar runs at full stretch. By evening the temple is lit with lamps, fireworks rise over the sarovar, and the singing continues late into the night. 2026 timings were unpublished when this was written — check SGPC announcements.

The Golden Temple on Gurpurab: visiting guidance

Sri Harmandir Sahib — the Golden Temple — is the holiest shrine in Sikhism, standing in its sacred pool, the Amrit Sarovar, in a city Guru Ram Das founded in 1577. Entry is free for everyone, of any faith or none, and the complex is open around the clock. The sanctum's schedule follows the SGPC's month-by-month routine, with Palki Sahib before dawn and Sukhasan late in the evening; timings move with the season, so check on arrival.

Three rules are non-negotiable. Cover your head inside the complex — scarves are available free at the entrance. Remove your shoes at the free shoe counter and walk barefoot, washing hands and feet at the entrance. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Photography is restricted inside the sanctum, and the sevadars enforce the rules. On Gurpurab, expect long queues; the parikrama around the sarovar is a complete visit in itself.

Do not miss the langar. Guru ka Langar serves free vegetarian meals to everyone, all day and night; guides report 50,000 to 100,000 meals a day, rising sharply on festival days. Sit on the floor in rows, and volunteers will serve you — or volunteer yourself: rolling rotis is seva, selfless service.

A Gurpurab day in Amritsar: a suggested flow

Before dawn — Amrit Vela. Reach the temple for the Palki Sahib ceremony. Morning — the sanctum and the sarovar. Join the parikrama around the pool, then listen to kirtan. Midday — langar. Eat in the langar hall, and stay to serve if you wish. Afternoon — the old city. Walk to Jallianwala Bagh, the memorial to the 1919 massacre — no verified photo in our library, so it stays text-only here. Evening — the lights. Return after dark for the illuminations and fireworks over the sarovar.

Where else Guru Nanak Jayanti is marked

Amritsar is the brightest stage, but not the only one. Sultanpur Lodhi, in Punjab, is where Guru Nanak lived and where tradition places his enlightenment by the Kali Bein. Anandpur Sahib, home of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and the birthplace of the Khalsa in 1699, marks the day with its own kirtan and processions.

Across the border, Nankana Sahib in Pakistan — Guru Nanak's birthplace — holds the main ceremony on 24 November, with Indian pilgrims due to cross at Wagah on 22 November, per the Evacuee Trust Property Board. In Delhi, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib leads the day. See the Anandpur Sahib guide and the festivals hub.

Eating in Amritsar on Gurpurab

Festival days in Amritsar are fed twice over: once by the langar, and once by the city's kitchens. Between temple visits, try Amritsari kulcha — crisp stuffed bread with chole — from the old city's famous shops. Our famous food of Punjab guide covers the dishes, and the Amritsari kulcha page has the dish itself. On Gurpurab, eat the langar first.

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026: practical tips

Getting there. Fly into Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, or take a train to Amritsar Junction, about 2 km from the Golden Temple. When to book. November is peak season — cool, dry weather, and the festival on top of it — so book stays early and expect the streets around the temple to be crowded and partly closed on 23 and 24 November. What to pack. A headscarf of your own, modest clothes covering shoulders and knees, warm layers for the pre-dawn and late-night hours, and slip-off shoes. On the day. Carry water, keep valuables close in the crowds, and check SGPC announcements for the 2026 procession route and road closures. See our best places to visit in India in November guide.

Watch & feel the place

Watch the Golden Temple — a walk around the sarovar, and the temple with Jallianwala Bagh:

▶

▶

Videos are by their respective creators and are embedded for viewing; please check the creators' channels for the latest Golden Temple content before travelling.

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 FAQs

The lamps go out and the kirtan quiets — but the langar's lesson stays: remember, earn honestly, share what you have. For Amritsar in its other festival season, read the Bandi Chhor Divas guide next.