TAXILA: Sikhs from across the country and abroad poured into Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal to mark Shaheedi Jor Mela, the 418th death anniversary of the fifth of 11 Sikh gurus, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, on Sunday.

According to Sikhism, the event is also called Shaheedi Jor Mela or Shaheedi Purab of Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

The Sikh temple welcomes hundreds and thousands of worshippers from around the world on religious occasions.

In respect of the holy place, attendees, Sikh or not, are asked to cover their heads before entering the gurdwara and no one is asked for their religion, caste or creed when entering. Sikhs prostrate to their Guru as soon as they enter while a priest, known as a granthi, recites from the scripture.

The Sunday’s festival begins after dusk ends with a musical ritual known as Kirtan - a form of devotional singing - that is led by two people on a specially designed stage with a harmonium and tablas while surrounding worshippers chime in as they listen.

The Indian pilgrims arrived aboard special buses and were received by Assistant Commissioner Arif Qureshi and officials from ETPB. They were escorted to the gurdwara in a security cordon.

The leader of Indian pilgrims, Sardar Gurubachan Singh,told newsmen that the Sikh community considered Pakistan to be their second homeland as some of the holiest sites of the religion were situated here. He said Punjabi cultures, taboos, language, dress and living styles were the same and the people had lived in the same environment for centuries.

The assistant commissioner said the district administration in collaboration with the Evacuee Trust Property Board and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) had made elaborate arrangements to provide facilities to the pilgrims.He said the Sikh yatrees will be provided foolproof security during their stay in Pakistan. They will be provided free buses between railway stations and gurdwaras. He said 48 CCTV cameras had been installed inside Gurdwara Punja Sahib.

The devotees are scheduled to visit and pay obeisance at various Sikh shrines. They will follow a detailed schedule including visits to Nankana Sahib on June 10, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Farooqabad on June 11, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib Narowal on June 12 and Gurdwara Rohri Sahib Eminabad on June 14 before arriving in Lahore.

The main ceremony for Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s death anniversary will take place on June 16 at Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore. The pilgrims will return to India on June 17.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2024