AdminLAHORE: A delegation of thousands of Sikh pilgrims arrived in Lahore via Wagah Border from Amritsar, India on Thursday to celebrate this year’s Baisakhi Festival which marks the time of harvest of rabi crops in Indian and Pakistani Punjab. The Sikh pilgrims were greeted at the Wagah Railway Station by officials from the Evacuee Trust Property […]
LAHORE: A delegation of thousands of Sikh pilgrims arrived in Lahore via Wagah Border from Amritsar, India on Thursday to celebrate this year’s Baisakhi Festival which marks the time of harvest of rabi crops in Indian and Pakistani Punjab.
The Sikh pilgrims were greeted at the Wagah Railway Station by officials from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) which had prepared floral garlands for the occasion. According to ETPB chairman Muhammad Ilyas Khan, security and adequate administrative arrangements had been made prior to their arrival in the city.
ETPB Public Relations Officer Amir Hashmi told The News that Additional Secretary (shrines) Khalid Ali had supervised the Sikh pilgrims’ housing, travel, medical and langar (food) arrangements. Rangers have also been involved in the provision of security to the pilgrims in addition to Railway Police.
The pilgrims soon after arriving in Lahore by train departed via a special train arranged by ETPB for Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassanabdal. Gurdwara Punja Sahib is one of the holiest places of Sikh worship due to the presence of a rock claimed to have a hand print of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism who was born in the village known as Nankana Sahib near Lahore.
Talking to The News, leader of the delegation Harpreet Singh said he was happy and honored to be back in his birthplace and in the cultural heartland of Punjab. He thanked the ETPB officers for their warm reception and expressed goodwill towards his brethren in Pakistan.
On Saturday (tomorrow), the Sikh pilgrims will participate in different religious ceremonies and rituals at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassanabdal. Thereafter, on April 14, another ceremony honoring the ten Gurus of Sikhism will be held at the Gurdwara.
A special train will then transport the Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. According to the schedule provided by ETPB, the delegation on April 15 will travel to Gurdwara Sucha Sauda Sahib, Farooqabad.
After completing their rites, they will travel to Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore on April 16. They will also visit Gurdwara Aimanabad and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Narowal District.
Sikh delegation visiting from Amritsar will conclude their trip at Dera Sahib Gurdwara Lahore on April 18. The next day, on April 19, the entire delegation will return via train to India.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/