Over 6,700 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border on Thursday to participate in Baisakhi Mela festivities and commemorate the founding of the Khalsa sect.
Baisakhi marks the Sikh new year and commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth (saint-warriors) under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. This would be the 326th founding anniversary of Khalsa.
The main ceremony will be held in Lahore on April 14 at Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib.
The Pakistani government has issued 6,751 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for the festival for the first time in 50 years.
Under the Pakistan-India Religious Protocol Agreement 1974, up to 3,000 Sikh pilgrims are permitted to visit Pakistan for any religious festival. However, the government of Pakistan granted 3,751 additional visas at the special request of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
The Sikh pilgrims were greeted by Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interfaith Harmony Khel Das Kohistani, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee President and Punjab Minorities Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Secretary ETPB Farid Iqbal, and Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar at the Wagah Border check post.
Talking to reporters at Wagah Border, Daljeet Singh Sarna, a leader of the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, thanked the Pakistani government for issuing visas to such a large number of pilgrims for the first time, saying it has won the hearts of the Sikh community.
Pilgrims from Amritsar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and 11 other Indian states have arrived in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is a peace-loving country, and Sikhs from all over the world wish to visit it because of the immense respect and honour they receive here,” said Veinder Singh Khalsa, Jatha leader of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Punjab Minorities Minister Arora said for the first time in history, the Pakistan government issued visas for all the applications received from Sikh pilgrims, fulfilling the Sikh community’s long desire to visit their sacred sites in the country.
ETPB Secretary Iqbal said the board has ensured comprehensive arrangements for accommodation, medical facilities, transport, and other necessary services for the pilgrims.
“ETPB is spending a huge amount to facilitate sikh pilgrims, renovation of gurudwaras and temples,” he said and added that Gurdwara Janamasthan, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur have been beautifully decorated to enrich the spiritual experience of the pilgrims.
Upon entering Pakistan through the Bab-e-Azadi (Gate of Freedom), the pilgrims were served cold beverages and provided with langar. After clearing customs and immigration, they were transported in buses under tight security arrangements.
Due to the high number of Indian pilgrims this year, they have been divided into two groups.
The first group will go to Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, while the second group will head to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on Thursday. Both groups will arrive at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, on Saturday.
On Sunday, they will visit Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad and stay overnight in Nankana Sahib. The central ceremony of the Baisakhi Festival will be held on April 14 at Gurdwara Janamasthan, Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the founder of Sikhism Baba Guru Nanak.
On April 15, one group will travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, while the other will proceed to Gurdwara Panja Sahib. On April 17, both groups will pay their respects at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore and will later visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Eminabad.
The Indian Sikh pilgrims will return to their homeland on April 19.
