Sikh religious leaders, surrounded by thousands of chanting devotees, carried their holy book to Amritsar's Golden Temple on Wednesday to mark 400 years since the scripture was first brought to the north Indian shrine.
The old quarter of this city of about 1.6 million people was transformed into a sea of colour as Sikh men in turbans carrying swords and spears and women in veils marched towards the Golden Temple chanting "Wahe Guru" (God Almighty).
Amritsar's streets were festooned with gold and silver ribbons and flags in the Sikh colours of saffron and blue, while shops and houses were illuminated with coloured bulbs.
The focal point of the celebration was the holy book, known as the Guru Granth Sahib, which was adorned with marigolds and jasmine and borne aloft by temple volunteers.
The Guru Granth Sahib was first brought to the Golden Temple on this day in 1604 by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of the Sikhs, who had spent years compiling it.
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