SIKHS across Southampton will be remembering one of the faith’s leading lights as part of a festival from Friday morning.

Prayers will be recited continually for 48 hours at the city’s gurdwaras to remember the life of guru Arjan Dev Ji, one of the ten founding members of the Sikh faith.

On Sunday people from across Hampshire will be joining hundreds of millions of people from across the world to pay their respects.

At the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in Derby Road, families will be coming together to give thanks to the guru. After services delivered by the temple’s priests the congregation will enjoy food at the temple, as they will at the other temples in Southampton.

Gurbachan Singh Bhakar, of the St Mary’s temple, said: “Everybody is welcome to join in and take part and enjoy the food. We are all equal.”