Nanak was born in 1469 in Talwandi Rai Bhoe ki, fifty-seven miles from Lahore. It is believed that the town was attacked thirteen times and reduced to ruins but was rebuilt because of the resilient spirit of the Punjabis. It was renamed Nankana by its chief Rai Bular in honour of the Guru. Advent of Guru Nanak is thus described by Bhai Gurdas, Sikh savant and amanuensis of Guru Granth Sahib:
“With the appearance of Nanak, the true Guru, the mist cleared and the light scattered all around as with the rise of sun darkness dispels”.
- Varan Bhai Gurdas.
The volume, part of Institute’s tribute to Guru Nanak on his 550th Prakash Utsav with 200 pages (size 11.25” x 13.6”) carrying 225 rare images (in six colours) of paintings and photographs by legendary artists in India and abroad published for the first time in a single volume, is a connoisseurs’ delight. The book was launched during Institute’s function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication which
is material protected by this copyright notice may be
reproduced or transmitted or utilised or stored in any
form without prior written permission of the copyright
holder or his legal heirs or authorised nominee.
We have tried our best to acknowledge sources used in the book
except those in the public domain. We will be happy to make
corrections if any omission is brought to our notice.
Printed and Bound in India at Aegean Offset Printers,
Greater Noida, U.P., India.
Double-spread: Sea of Devotees in Nankana Sahib on the eve of
Guru Nanak’s Birth celebrations in 2018. Photo Credit: Alamy.
Photographs of the paintings have been used with artists’ consent
and permission from respective repositories.
Portraits of the Ten Gurus by Bodhraj.
Courtesy: Vijay Bodhraj.
Half Title: Engraving in gold on the doors of Darbar Sahib,
Amritsar, depicting Guru Nanak with Bhai Mardana
and Bhai Bala. Courtesy: SGPC, Amritsar.