Pehla Prakash Gurupurab is celebrated to commemorate the first installation and opening of the Adi Granth at Sri Harmandir Sahib. Guru Granth Sahib is a universal spiritual scripture. Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the Sabad Guru of Sikhs. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is written primarily in the Gurmukhi script and contains compositions in Punjabi and other linguistic traditions. Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of Sikhism and the Eternal Guru.
The Guru Granth Sahib contains the Gurbani, revealed and devotional compositions by the Sikh Gurus, Bhagats, Bhatts, and Sikhs. Guru Granth Sahib Ji is ceremonially opened in the morning and evening every day at the Gurdwara Sahib. Sikh Sangat and people from other religions visit, read and listen to Gurbani, and sing it through Kirtan.
When is Pehla Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib in 2026?
Pehla Parkash refers to the first installation and ceremonial opening of the Adi Granth at Harmandir Sahib. For the first time, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji installed the Adi Granth at Harmandir Sahib in 1604 CE at Amritsar. Baba Buddha Ji was appointed as the first Granthi, and for the first time, Bhai Buddha Ji took the Hukamnama and recited Gurbani from Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
The observances of Sampurnata Diwas and Gurgaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji are also held on different dates.
About Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Guru Arjan Sahib began compiling this scripture in 1601 and completed it in 1604. It has 1,430 Angs (pages). Sikhs use the word "Angs" because they consider Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji their living and eternal Guru, not just a holy book. The entire Bani of Guru Granth Sahib Ji is recorded in 31 main ragas. It includes the Bani of 36 contributors: 6 Sikh Gurus, 15 Bhagats, 11 Bhatts, and 4 Gursikhs.
Sikhs believe that Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the Guru of the whole world because many respected Gurus, saints, and Bhagats from different castes and religions came forward and recited Bani. Guru Arjan Sahib, after careful consideration, included the Gurbani in Guru Granth Sahib.
The Adi Granth was written by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The Adi Granth initially contained the Bani of the first five Gurus. Later, in 1706, at Talwandi Sabo (Damdama Sahib), Guru Gobind Singh Ji included the Bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib through Bhai Mani Singh and had its final form prepared.
In 1708 CE, before Guru Gobind Singh Ji departed from this world at Nanded, he commanded the Sikhs that from that day onward, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji would be the eternal Guru of all Sikhs. That means there would be no more physical or human (deh-dhari) Gurus.
About the Structure of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
The Guru Granth Sahib contains 5,894 hymns. Among the Bhagats, Kabir contributes the largest number of hymns. The Guru Granth Sahib scripture is organized primarily by ragas (musical measures). It is also organized by poetic form, authorship, and musical notation (Ghar). The Guru Granth Sahib contains 1,430 pages (Angs). It begins with Mool Mantra, "Ek Onkar," which means there is one God, who is the creator of this world.
How many languages are used in Guru Granth Sahib?
Gurbani in Guru Granth Sahib is written in multiple languages, including Gurmukhi, Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Gujarati, Sindhi, Bengali, Marwari, Bhojpuri, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, and more.
How many Guru Sahibaan's Bani are included in Guru Granth Sahib?
It is believed that the Bani of six Gurus is recorded in Guru Granth Sahib. Their names are
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji
- Guru Angad Dev Ji
- Guru Amar Das Ji
- Guru Ram Das Ji
- Guru Arjan Dev Ji
- Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
Guru Granth Sahib contains the Bani of how many Bhagats and Bhatts?
Along with the Bani of the Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib also includes the spiritual and devotional thoughts of Bhagats, Bhatts, and other Sikhs in the form of Gurbani. Because of this, Bhagats, Bhatts, and Sikhs are also given the same respect and love by Sikhs as the Guru Sahibs.
Fifteen Bhagats
- Bhagat Kabir
- Bhagat Ravidas
- Baba Sheikh Farid Ji
- Bhagat Ramanand Ji
- Bhagat Baini Ji
- Bhagat Namdev Ji
- Bhagat Bhikhan Ji
- Bhagat Parmanand Ji
- Bhagat Sadhna Ji
- Bhagat Sain Ji
- Bhagat Dhanna Ji
- Bhagat Pipa Ji
- Bhagat Surdas Ji
- Bhagat Jaidev Ji
- Bhagat Trilochan Ji
Bhatts
Many Hindu Saraswat Brahmins who began following the teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji became known as Bhatts. The Bani of 11 Sikh Bhatts is included in Guru Granth Sahib:
- Bhatt Mathra
- Bhatt Jalap
- Bhatt Harbans
- Bhatt Talya
- Bhatt Salya
- Bhatt Bhal
- Bhatt Kulh Sahar
- Bhatt Nal
- Bhatt Kirat
- Bhatt Gayand
- Bhatt Sadrang
Gursikhs
The Guru Granth Sahib also contains the Bani of four devoted Sikhs of the Guru's house:
- Bhai Sundar
- Bhai Mardana
- Bhai Balwand Rai
- Bhai Satta Doom
Guru Arjan Dev Ji carefully selected the writings included in the Adi Granth. Gurbani in Guru Granth Sahib was selected based on spiritual truth, equality, and belief in the unity of God and humanity. When Guru Arjan Dev Ji was compiling the Adi Granth, poets and Bhagats Peelu, Kahna, Chhajju, and Shah Hussain came to include their verses as well. But Guru Ji refused to include their verses because they expressed a pessimistic view of life, spiritual ego, a belief in silence and submission to fate, and their views about women did not match the Sikh principle of equality.
Respect is shown to the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhs and other people give full respect to Guru Granth Sahib Ji. When people come to the Gurdwara or a place where Guru Granth Sahib is installed, everybody covers their head, removes their shoes, and treats the scripture with great respect. The Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a raised platform (Takht) so that people's heads are not higher than the scripture.
People also avoid turning their backs toward it. People remain silent while sitting toward it and listen to Gurbani calmly. When the Granthi Sahib reads Gurbani from it, a Chaur Sahib is waved over it. Sikhs place Guru Granth Sahib in a separate room at night. They give it the same respect that was once given to the human gurus.
Teachings of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
The Guru Granth Sahib includes compositions praising God and rejecting superstition, caste discrimination, and social divisions. There is no discrimination based on caste, color, or gender. We should earn through honest work, meditate on the Name, and share what we have with others.
Guru Granth Sahib Ji gives us the teaching that there is one God and He is the Creator of everyone. We should meditate on the Name of that one God and should not get involved in other superstitions. God resides within all living beings. We cannot tell all the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib in this short article because its hymn mean and teachings are endless and deeper than a sea.