All the battles I have won against tyranny,

I have fought with the devoted backing of the people.

- Guru Gobind Singh's respect for Khalsa represented in one of his poems

On the 10th Sikh Guru's 348th birth anniversary celebrations, his people have not forgotten the great warrior, poet and philosopher.

Gagandeep Kaur (26), a consultant at a private company in Simla, has been taking part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh at the warrior's birthplace Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib in Patna City for the past 15 years without skipping a single year.

This year, Kaur made it a point to bring her fiancé, Gursimran Singh, for the celebrations in Patna. Gursimran is a Canada-based businessman.

'I am a devotee of Guru Gobindji and so I have come here to take part in his birth anniversary. This year, I am more excited about my visit because my fiancé and my family is accompanying me,' said Gangandeep with a big smile on her face.

Gobind Singh was born to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, and Mata Gujri on December 22, 1666 (Poh 7, 1723) in Patna. His birthday is, however, celebrated on the seventh day of Poush according to the Hindi calendar. This year, it would be commemorated on December 29 around 1.20am.

Gursimran said: 'I was planning to come here for the past few years but things didn't materialise. I am at peace ever since I came here. Thanks to my fiancé who planned it.'?

Around 50,000 people from different states and abroad took part in the ongoing birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh at Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, the most-revered place of the Sikhs.

Sikh devotees poured in at the Gurdwara in large numbers on the concluding day of the three-day festivities on Sunday. For them, the Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib assumes a lot of importance because Gobind Singh had spent his early years here before moving to Anandpur.

Pavitra Kaur (25), a devotee from Calcutta, said: 'I have been coming here since 2007. The birthday of Guru Gobind Singhji is a reason good enough to visit Patna. Though there are some problems in my family, my father, uncle and cousins have accompanied me this time. Coming here is very important for all of us.'?

Kanwaljeet Singh (35), a businessman from Delhi, said he is accompanied by a group of 50 friends.

'My friends and I have set up stalls to provide services to the devotees. It would help bring good fortune,' Kanwaljeet said, adding that he was also helping in the langar of the gurdwara.

Daljeet Singh, the superintendent of Harmandir Sahib, said this year the celebrations were a little different from the earlier ones.

'The programme at Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib was telecast live on DD from 9am to 12.20pm. The bhajan and kirtan by spiritual leaders of different places was also telecast live. Devinder Singhji Khalsa Ragi Jatha from Chandigarh, Gurmeet Singh Ragi Jatha from Mumbai, Gyani Parmeet Singhji Ragi Jatha from Ludhiana were present at the event. The 24-hour langar on all the three days is one of the major attractions of the programme.'