LAHORE: The Sikh pilgrims from India reached Lahore on Sunday to attend celebrations of the 10-day Baisakhi festival at various Gurdwaras in Punjab.

As many as 2,470 pilgrims crossed the Wagah-Attari border on foot to enter Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi mainly at Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Hasanabdal), Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Sahib (Lahore) and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur), Narowal.

Greeted by the officers of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and other departments concerned at Wagah border, the pilgrims were also offered langar there.

Talking to the media, the pilgrims expressed happiness, saying they were feeling as if Pakistan was their own land where they could have the darshan of their gurus. They expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan for making elaborate arrangements for them on the occasion of Baisakhi.

The pilgrims to visit gurdwaras across Punjab during next 10 days

On this occasion, the ETPB officers said Pakistan always wanted to facilitate more pilgrims from India and other countries to visit their religious places across the country. They said the pilgrims would be given the maximum facilities during their visits to Hasanabdal, Nankana and other cities.

According to an official source, the pilgrims entered Pakistan in groups, led by Amarjit Singh Bhalipur, the party leader of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), India, Balwinder Singh, the deputy party leader SGPC, Joginder Kaur, the deputy party leader SGPC, Kulwant Singh, the deputy party leader SGPC, Harjeet Singh, secretary SGPC, Panj Pyaray Sahiban, Mangal Singh, Joga Singh, Sandeep Singh, Jatinder Singh, Jarmeljit Singh, Baljinder Singh, deputy party leader of Bhai Mardana Society, Surjit Singh of All India Danga Peer Welfare Punjab and Inderjeet Singh, the party leader Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

The pilgrims went to Nankana Sahib by road through special busses under security. After reaching Nankana, they were given lunch before they started performing religious rituals at the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and other gurdwaras.

On April 10 (today), they will proceed for Gurdwara Sacha Sauda (Farooqabad) and return to Nankana by road the same day. On April 11, they will visit other local gurdwaras in Nankana and on April 12, they will depart for Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal by road.

The main event will be held on April 14 at Panja Sahib where the pilgrims will attend main ceremony, ‘Bhog Akhand Paath Sahib & Nagar Kirtan’ to celebrate 324th Khalsa Janam Din.

They will depart for Lahore to visit Gurdwara Dera Sahib where they will stay for the next one day. On April 16, they will leave for Eminabad to visit Gurdwara Rorro Sahib. The same day, they will also visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal. They will have a night stay there also.

On April 17, the Sikh pilgrims will again depart for the Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore and after spending the night there, they will return to India via Wagah the next day (April 18).

“I have directed the authorities concerned to leave no stone unturned in facilitating the pilgrims from India and other countries as well as from various parts of Pakistan,” said ETPB Chairman Dr Habibur Rehman Gilani while talking to Dawn on Sunday.

EASTER: The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has completed a special cleaning operation across the city on Easter.

In this regard, washing of more than 300 churches, including Sacred Heart Cathedral, Salvation Army and Don Bosco has been completed in the city.

“On the eve of Easter, special cleaning arrangements were made in more than 80 Christian colonies across the city followed by sprinkling of water and lime around worship and other important places of the Christians. Additional dustbins have also been installed at recreational areas,” said LWMC Chief Executive Officer Babar Sahib Din in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, a bonus of Rs5,000 had already been paid to each Christian worker of the LWMC for the Easter festival. He said a special cleaning operation was conducted to ensure cleanliness in the city for the occasion and added that cleaning arrangements were made in all Christian colonies, including Youhanabad, Makkah Colony, Joseph Colony, Christian Mohallah, Dhup Sari and Basti Saidon.

PROJECTS: Lahore Commissioner/LDA DG Muhammad Ali Randhawa reviewed the ongoing and proposed development projects in the provincial capital.

“It is the need of the day to increase speed of construction works on all projects, especially Samanabad underpass and Lahore Bridge (Kot Lakhpat/Qainchi),” he said while presiding over a meeting. He also reviewed the amended design of the Akbar Chowk project under which flyovers would be constructed on both sides instead of an underpass at Akbar Chowk.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023