Religious tourism: Punjab govt opens Sikh heritage sites to public

Visitors interested in history, archaeology and religious tourism visit holy sites of Sikh community

LAHORE: The Punjab government has initiated religious tourism for Sikh pilgrims in the provincial capital. Visitors interested in history, archaeology and religious tourism were taken to visit the holy sites of the Sikh community which were, previously, remained secret in the streets of the inner city.

The unique event started from the Fort Road Food Street where PRO to Punjab Governor Pawan Singh Arora briefed the participants about the event, followed by colourfully decorated rickshaw rides.

The official explained that the purpose of this tour was to bring the international community’s attention towards the heritage of the Sikh community, its holy sites and archaeological structures situated in the provincial capital.

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“Usually, citizens, except the members of the Sikh community, are not allowed to visit the temples, which is a prime reason for the lack of awareness among the public about these holy places.”

“It is through these historical trips that we will be taking the visitors to the temples so that they could see the places and learn about the religious practices of the Sikh community,” he added. “These trips will also promote religious harmony and companionship among people of different faith groups.”

The tourists were first taken to visit the birthplace of Sikh community’s fourth religious leader Guru Ram Das, which is situated in the inner city of Chuna Mandi.

The official briefed the visitors about this worship place. Later, the visitors reached Dera Sahib Lahore, where the fifth Guru of the Sikh community Arjun Devji was martyred. Members of

the Sikh community believe that Guru Arjun Devji drowned inside a well located there, which is a part of River Ravi. Apart from this, the grave of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is also located at the site. Hina Umar, a participant of the religious tour, said that it was a very good initiative by the provincial government.

“Tourists will have the opportunity to know more about the heritage of the Sikh community,” she added. “As most of us know less about Sikhism and not much information is being taught in schools about the community and their culture, we have taken this tour to learn many new things about the community today.”

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Another participant Shazia Fayyaz told The Express Tribune that the visitors came to know about this visit through a social media

platform. “Whenever we used to visit the Shahi Qila and Badshahi Mosque, we would often get curious about the Gurdwara. However, due to security reasons, we could not get an opportunity to explore the place of worship.”

“Today, our wish to visit the Gurdwara and learn more about the Sikh community has come true and we have made the most of this special occasion to know more about Sikh heritage,” she remarked. The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) Marketing and Tourism Director Asif Zaheer, while talking to the media, said Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar were promoting religious tourism in the country and this event was a result of their commitment.

“In the walled city of Lahore, there are many ancient buildings from the Sikh era, including Gurdwaras and holy places belonging to the community. We want to promote Sikh heritage through this city tour.” “We want to show the world how we have protected this heritage and kept it close to our hearts,” he added.

He further said that, initially, this religious tour would be held once a month. “About 60 people were included in today’s tour and if the number of visitors increases, we shall have this tour arranged twice a month.” Also, following the norm, tours to promote Muslim heritage, historic mosques and shrines will be initiated soon, he maintained.