Guru Nanak Jayanti Quiz: 29 Questions on Guru Nanak Dev Ji for Kids

This Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz has 29 questions with answers about the life, travels and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru, sorted into easy, medium and hard rounds. Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November, the 557th Prakash Purab, so the questions suit school assemblies, Sunday classes and family quiz nights in the week before.

The answers follow the life of Guru Nanak as it is usually told in Sikh tradition and the Janamsakhis (life stories), and the facts come from Sikh institutions and encyclopaedias. Where accounts differ, we say so. The questions are new, so they do not repeat our Diwali quiz questions or the Children’s Day quiz.

Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz at a glance

Choose the rounds that suit your group. Younger children can stop after the easy round; older classes can play all 29 questions in about 30 minutes.

The life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in brief

Read this short summary aloud before the quiz. It also works as a warm-up for any Guru Nanak Dev Ji quiz.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the village of Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, near Lahore. The town is now called Nankana Sahib and is in Pakistan. His father was Mehta Kalu and his mother was Mata Tripta. His elder sister, Bebe Nanaki, is remembered as the first person to understand his spiritual nature.

As a young man he worked at Sultanpur Lodhi. According to Sikh tradition, after bathing in the Kali Bein stream he disappeared for three days. When he returned he said, “There is no Hindu, there is no Musalman,” meaning that all people are equal before one God. He then set out on long journeys, called udasis, with his friend Bhai Mardana, who played the rabab while Guru Nanak sang his hymns.

In his later years Guru Nanak settled at Kartarpur, on the banks of the river Ravi, where he farmed and taught. Before he passed away in 1539, he chose Bhai Lehna as the next Guru, who became Guru Angad Dev Ji. Guru Nanak taught three simple rules: remember God (Naam Japna), earn an honest living (Kirat Karni) and share with others (Vand Chhakna).

Easy Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz for kids (Classes 1 to 3)

These questions cover what children see and hear at a gurdwara on Gurpurab. Accept close spellings, such as Gurupurab or Gurpurb.

1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first Guru of which religion?
   Answer: Sikhism
2. What is another name for Guru Nanak Jayanti?
   Answer: Gurpurab or Prakash Purab (Prakash Utsav)
3. What do we call the free community kitchen in a gurdwara, where everyone eats together?
   Answer: Langar
4. How do people sit to eat langar?
   Answer: Together in rows on the floor (pangat), so that everyone is equal
5. What is the Sikh place of worship called?
   Answer: A gurdwara
6. What musical instrument did Bhai Mardana play?
   Answer: The rabab
7. What do visitors cover before going into a gurdwara?
   Answer: Their heads (and they remove their shoes)
8. What are the early-morning hymn-singing walks before Gurpurab called?
   Answer: Prabhat Pheri
9. What is the sweet offering given to everyone at the gurdwara called?
   Answer: Karah prasad

Medium round: Guru Nanak Dev Ji quiz on his life and travels (Classes 4 to 6)

The middle round follows Guru Nanak’s life in order, from his birth to his long journeys.

10. In which year was Guru Nanak born?
    Answer: 1469
11. What is the name of Guru Nanak’s birthplace today, and in which country is it?
    Answer: Nankana Sahib, in Pakistan (once called Rai Bhoi di Talwandi)
12. What were the names of Guru Nanak’s parents?
    Answer: Mehta Kalu (father) and Mata Tripta (mother)
13. Which sister of Guru Nanak is remembered as his first follower?
    Answer: Bebe Nanaki
14. What are Guru Nanak’s long spiritual journeys called?
    Answer: Udasis (most accounts count four)
15. Who travelled with Guru Nanak on his journeys?
    Answer: Bhai Mardana (Bhai Bala is also named in some Janamsakhis)
16. His father gave him money to make a good deal. Guru Nanak fed hungry holy men instead. What is this story called?
    Answer: Sacha Sauda (the “true bargain”)
17. What are the three main teachings of Guru Nanak?
    Answer: Naam Japna (remember God), Kirat Karni (honest work) and Vand Chhakna (sharing)
18. What does “Ik Onkar” mean?
    Answer: There is one God (One Creator)
19. In which town did Guru Nanak work as a young man, near the Kali Bein stream?
    Answer: Sultanpur Lodhi

Hard round: gurpurab quiz on the Gurus and the scripture (Classes 7 and 8)

The hard round of this Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz with answers covers the Guru Granth Sahib, the ten Gurus and Kartarpur. It suits older classes and adult teams.

20. Which prayer by Guru Nanak comes first in the Guru Granth Sahib and is recited every morning?
    Answer: Japji Sahib
21. The opening lines of the Guru Granth Sahib, which begin with Ik Onkar, are known by what name?
    Answer: The Mool Mantar
22. Which Guru compiled the first version of the scripture, the Adi Granth, in 1604?
    Answer: Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru
23. Which Guru declared the Guru Granth Sahib the eternal Guru of the Sikhs in 1708?
    Answer: Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru
24. How many human Gurus were there in Sikhism?
    Answer: Ten, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji
25. Who was the second Sikh Guru, chosen by Guru Nanak himself?
    Answer: Guru Angad Dev Ji (once called Bhai Lehna)
26. On the banks of which river is Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent his last years?
    Answer: The Ravi
27. In which year did the Kartarpur Corridor open, linking Dera Baba Nanak in India with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan?
    Answer: 2019, for Guru Nanak’s 550th Prakash Purab
28. On which full-moon day of the Hindu lunar calendar is Guru Nanak Jayanti usually celebrated?
    Answer: Kartik Purnima
29. What is the 48-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib before Gurpurab called?
    Answer: Akhand Path

The ten Sikh Gurus

Several hard questions depend on knowing the order of the Gurus. Print this list or write it on the board.

How Gurpurab is celebrated

Celebrations usually start two days before the day itself with an Akhand Path at the gurdwara. On the day before, a Nagar Kirtan (procession) moves through the streets, led by five Sikhs representing the Panj Pyare and carrying the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag. Groups sing hymns, and people often serve water and snacks along the route.

On Gurpurab, gurdwaras hold kirtan (hymn singing) and katha (talks about the Guru’s life), and langar is served to everyone, whatever their faith. Gurdwaras and homes are lit with lamps and lights in the evening. Explain to children that the festival is about Guru Nanak’s message of equality, honest work and sharing, so the langar is at the heart of the day.

How to run the quiz in class

This plan fits a 35 to 40 minute lesson or assembly.

1. Tell the story (5 minutes). Read the life summary above, or invite a Sikh pupil to share what their family does on Gurpurab, if they wish to.
2. Make teams. Teams of four with names such as Team Langar or Team Kartarpur.
3. Play the easy round aloud (8 minutes). Teams write answers on scrap paper and hold them up together.
4. Play the medium and hard rounds (15 minutes). Allow 30 seconds per question, and offer three answer options for younger classes.
5. Mark as you go. Use this gurpurab quiz as your answer key, and accept spelling variants such as Nanakana or Japji.
6. Finish with sharing (5 minutes). Ask each child to name one way they can share with others this week, linking to Vand Chhakna.

Tips: use the respectful forms “Guru Nanak Dev Ji” and “Guru Granth Sahib Ji”, and avoid drawings or role-play of the Gurus, as many Sikhs prefer that the Gurus are not acted out. For older pupils, more questions are in our India GK quiz.

Printable guru nanak jayanti quiz (free PDF)

Print this guru nanak jayanti quiz as a quiz sheet: every question from the rounds above with a line to write the answer, and a separate answer key for the quizmaster. The guru nanak jayanti quiz PDF has 4 pages and prints on US Letter or A4.

Print at 100% (actual size). Every page is black and white line art, so it copies cleanly on a school printer.

Related guides and printables

• Guru Nanak Jayanti drawing and coloring pages: gurdwara, langar and kirtan
• Children’s Day quiz with 30 questions
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• General knowledge quiz for kids
• Indian states and capitals quiz
• Reading comprehension worksheets
• India holidays 2027 calendar

Sources

• Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 date: Government of India (DoPT) list of holidays for central government offices, 2026 (Guru Nanak’s Birthday, Tuesday 24 November); Drik Panchang (557th birth anniversary, Kartik Purnima)
• Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC): Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh Gurus
• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Nanak; Sikhism; Adi Granth
• Punjab (Pakistan) district government, Narowal: Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur; news reports on the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor on 9 November 2019
• Janamsakhi traditions as retold in standard Sikh history texts, for the Sacha Sauda and Kali Bein stories

Further reading: Guru Nanak (Wikipedia) and Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Wikipedia).

Frequently asked questions

6 quick answers

When is Guru Nanak Jayanti in 2026?

Guru Nanak Jayanti is on Tuesday 24 November 2026, on Kartik Purnima. It is a gazetted holiday on the Government of India list. Local gurdwara programmes, such as the Akhand Path and Nagar Kirtan, start a day or two earlier, so check with your nearest gurdwara.

Which Gurpurab is it in 2026?

Drik Panchang lists 2026 as the 557th birth anniversary (Prakash Purab) of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, counting from his birth in 1469.

What are some easy Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz questions for kids?

Try: Who was the first Sikh Guru? (Guru Nanak Dev Ji). What is the free kitchen in a gurdwara called? (Langar). What instrument did Bhai Mardana play? (The rabab). What does Ik Onkar mean? (There is one God).

Why is Guru Nanak’s birthday celebrated in November when some say he was born in April?

Some historians, following one of the early Janamsakhis, place his birth in Vaisakh (April). Most Sikhs, however, follow the long tradition of celebrating it on Kartik Purnima, which usually falls in November.

What is the importance of langar on Gurpurab?

Langar was started by Guru Nanak to show that all people are equal. Everyone sits together and eats the same simple food, whatever their religion, caste or wealth.

How do I make a Guru Nanak Jayanti quiz for school?

Use 20 to 30 questions in three rounds, easy to hard, play in teams and end with a talk about sharing and honest work. The 29 questions above are ready to print.

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Last updated: October 2026