Baba Guru Nanak’s anniversary celebrations conclude today

Yastrees will return to their countries on Nov 30 after visiting other places in Punjab

LAHORE: The closing ceremony of the 549 birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Devji will be held at Gurudwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib (his birthplace) on Friday (today).

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, along with thousands of Sikhs, who have come from different parts of the world, will attend the event. The three-day celebration began on November 21. Around 3,000 yatrees from India reached Wagah Railway Station by a special train on Wednesday to take part in the celebrations. Evacuee Property Trust Board Chairman Tahir Ahsan, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee President Sardar Tara Singh, the committee’s former president Sardar Bishan Singh and others welcomed the pilgrims.

Talking to the media, leader of Indian's pilgrims Marjeet Singh said that Pakistani people believe in love. "We are requesting the Indian government to open the Kartarpur corridor. We don't know about the Indians government's stance on this, but we pleas they open the corridor like the government of Pakistan did."

Ahsan said that the Pakistani High Commission issued 3,800 visas to Indian pilgrim this year. The ideology of friendship between Muslim and Sikh become stronger day by day. "We tried to issue more visas to Indian pilgrim so that they visit Pakistan easily to celebrate their religious events."

Singh said that the number of pilgrims has increased compared to the last year. "We are trying to arrange accommodation for pilgrims within the Gurudwara."

The yatrees will leave for Gurdwara Punja Sahib on November 24, where they will stay for two days and perform their rituals. They will visit Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore on November 26. The yatrees will visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Emanabad and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kirtarpur on November 28 and then return to their countries on November 30.