More than 1000 Sikh pilgrims from India have departed for Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring harvest festival, and one of the most significant celebrations on the Sikh calendar. The group, known as a Sikh Jatha, is under the management of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and they will visit the Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, and other gurdwaras in Pakistan.
According to Partap Singh, Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, visas for 1052 people have been issued, and the devotees are very excited and happy to visit Pakistan. This is the first time the group is visiting Pakistan, and they expressed their long-time wish to visit the Gurudawara, the place of their Guru, and take obeisance and have a glimpse.
One of the pilgrims requested that the visa-granting process be made more accessible, and visa-on-arrival facilities should be available for the devotees. The pilgrims hoped that the government would not refuse visas to devotees wishing to go to the Guru’s place.
Sikh pilgrims from India and other countries visit Pakistan every year to celebrate religious festivals and occasions. The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries.
This annual pilgrimage is an essential event for the Sikh community and reflects the historical and cultural significance of Sikhism.
