The three-day celebrations of 554th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Baba Guru Nanak, are underway in Nankana Sahib for the second day on Sunday.
Sikh pilgrims will perform their religious rituals of Akhand Path, Shabad Kirtan, Ashnan and others at Gurdwara Janam Asthan. They will also perform the ritual of Matha Teki at Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Monday [today].
Pilgrims from Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, India and other countries are very happy and busy performing their rituals. On the second day, the yatrees are performing their religious rituals, such as Akhand Path, Shabad Kirtan, and Ashnan and pay pilgrimage at the gurdwaras.
The Sikh guests from India have said that they are extremely happy to have reached Nankana Sahib. They will perform the Matha Teki ritual at Gurdwara Sacha Sauda today. The pilgrims were transported to the gurdwara by buses under special police protection.
The pilgrims thanked the government of Pakistan for the arrangements. The Nankana district administration welcomed the Sikh pilgrims coming from abroad.
Meanwhile, three thousand Sikh pilgrims who have arrived here via Wagah will join the 554th birthday celebrations in Nankana Sahib on Sunday. The Sikhs from India will be taken to Farooqabad by special buses amid tight security to pay homage to the founder of the Sikh religion. They will be brought back in the evening and stay here at Gurudwara Janam Asthan.
The celebrations will conclude on Monday with the Bhog. Meanwhile, the pilgrims met caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi here on Sunday. They thanked the chief minister for their hospitality and arrangements for the pilgrims. They were grateful to the Pakistani government for the care it takes to protect and preserve the Sikh holy sites.
DPO Saaed Aziz is heading a 3,000-strong force that is performing security duty in Nankana Sahib and surrounding areas. The government makes special arrangements for the birth and death anniversary of Guru Nanak as his birth place (janam asthan) and eternal resting site (samadhi) are in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2023.
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