Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary: Cycle rally flagged off from Amritsar

A total of 550 cyclists covered a distance of around 65 km between Amritsar and Dera Baba Nanak here on Sunday as part of a bike rally to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev-- the founder of Sikhism. The rally to promote peace and harmony was flagged off by Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and organized with the help of the sports department, Punjab.

It began from Golden Gate, Amritsar and traversed across Majitha bypass and Fatehgarh Churian before concluding at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. Cyclists from across Punjab participated and were honored with a medallion and a certificate.

Sodhi said events highlighting Guru Nanak's philosophy will help the youth to connect with their age-old culture and heritage. He also said that the Punjab government will make all efforts to ensure that events related to the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev leave a lasting impression on the people.

He also asked everyone to come together to celebrate the "pious" occasion. Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Om Prakash Soni said that the rally was organized to spread the message of peace and harmony.