Guru Nanak Jayanti commemorates the birth of the first Sikh guru and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. The day falls on Karthik Purnima in the lunar calendar. This year, it is being celebrated on November 14. While Guru Nanak is believed to have been born a Hindu, he was also exposed to the religion of Islam. But he strongly opposed the caste practices of both these religions and their perpetual wish to be enlightened about mukti or moksha. Guru Nanak, who was also a reformer, rather emphasised on a completely spiritual relationship with God. Here are three things that you probably did not know about the great teacher’s life. Nanak Dev is the founder of the Sikh religion. He is one among the ten sacred gurus who have preached and propagated the religion. Born in 1469, the year 2016 marks his 547th birthday. Guru Nanak was raised as a Hindu by his family and extensively studied Islam. But what he rejected in these religions were their outward customs, such as pilgrimages, the unending search for moksha or mukti, or to attain the knowledge of what’s beyond the life and death cycle. He emphasised on a spiritual relationship with god. It is believed that as a child, Guru Nanak, who was born a Hindu, refused to wear the holy thread of ‘janayu’ and firmly opposed the practices that perpetuated the caste system.