DW BUREAU / Sri Anandpur Sahib On sacred occasion of Parkash purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday paid obeisance at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and announced that Anand Marriage Act will be implemented in true letter and spirit. The Chief Minister said that the act was notified in 2016 but had been hanging in fire since then. He said that though several other states have already implemented this act but Punjab had lagged behind. Bhagwant Mann said that this act will be now implemented in right earnest. The Chief Minister paid obeisance at Takht Sahib and prayed to almighty for the peace, progress and prosperity in the state. He also prayed that the ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood are strengthened in the state with every passing day and Punjab leads the country in every sphere. Extending his heartiest greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Prakash Purb, Bhagwant Mann said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was a great spiritual ambassador who guided the humanity to attain salvation by spreading the cult of devotion to God. He said that Guru Ji's eternal teachings of 'Kirat Karo, Naam Japo and Vand Chako' are still relevant in the present materialistic society. The Chief Minister said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji envisioned a casteless society free from rituals, thereby redeeming the suffering humanity from the pangs of agony. He said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji motivated mankind with new ideas, aims, and aspirations and called upon it to dispense with the maladies of hypocrisy, falsehood, pretensions and caste-prejudices. Bhagwant Mann appealed the people to imbibe the spirit of service and humility as preached by the Great Guru and strive hard for carving out a peaceful, prosperous and healthy society by following the precious legacy of Guru Nanak Dev ji . The Chief Minister exhorted people to celebrate this sacred occasion with utmost devotion and dedication rising above the parochial considerations of caste, colour, creed and religion. He said that through his udaasis Guru Nanak Dev ji, who is revered across the globe as Jagat Guru, preached communal harmony and brotherhood. Likewise, Bhagwant Mann said that Guru Nanak Dev ji through his teachings opposed tyranny, injustice and oppression during the invasion of Mughal emperor Babar. Quoting verse 'Pawan Guru, Paani Pitaah, Mata Dharat Mahat' from Gurbani, the Chief Minister said that Guru ji have equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father and land (dharat) with mother. Bhagwant Mann said that Guru ji had at that time taught the people to preserve environment when its pollution no where in scene. He said that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was also a firm advocate of women empowerment and equal status for females in the society. Devotees throng gurudwaras Scores of devotees thronged gurudwaras in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Tuesday to mark the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. Devotees reached shrines, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala and Nada Sahib in Haryana's Panchkula to pay obeisance. In Punjab, devotees thronged gurudwaras in the major cities -- Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Mohali and Anandpur Sahib. In Haryana, gurudwaras in Kurukshetra, Ambala, Sirsa, Karnal and Yamunanagar also witnessed huge crowds for Gurpurab. People of different faiths also queued in line to witness the celebrations at gurudwaras, which were tastefully decorated for the occasion. They also offered prayers and listened to 'shabad kirtans'. The first Sikh guru was born at Nankana Sahib near Lahore in present-day Pakistan in 1469. Devotees also offered prayers at the historic Gurudwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi. Guru Nanak Dev is believed to have stayed at Sultanpur Lodhi for over 14 years and attained enlightenment after taking a bath in the Kali Bein. The first Sikh master used to meditate under a 'ber' tree./ PTI / (editor@dailyworld.in)