Preparations complete for Baba Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issues 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India

Preparations have been finalised across Pakistan for the 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the revered founder of Sikhism. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued more than 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the celebrations, which will be held in Pakistan from November 4 to 13, 2025.

During their visit, the pilgrims will pay homage at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal.

Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich extended warm felicitations to the Sikh pilgrims and wished them a fulfilling and spiritually enriching journey. He emphasised that the Government of Pakistan remains committed to facilitating visits to sacred Sikh pilgrimage sites, in line with its enduring policy of promoting interfaith and intercultural harmony and understanding.

The issuance of these visas falls under the framework of the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974), which enables pilgrims from both countries to visit each other’s sacred religious sites.

According to the official schedule, the Indian pilgrims will arrive in Pakistan on November 4 via the Wagah Border and proceed to Nankana Sahib, where the main ceremony marking Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary will take place on November 5 at Gurdwara Janam Asthan. Religious rituals including Bhog Akhand Path Sahib, will be performed at Nankana Sahib and other nearby gurdwaras, marking a day of deep devotion and spiritual renewal for the Sikh community.

Read: Prep finalised for 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

On November 6, the yatrees will travel to Hassan Abdal to stay at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, followed by visits to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on November 8 and 9. They will then travel to Lahore on November 10 to visit Gurdwara Rori Sahib Eminabad in Gujranwala and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. The delegation will remain in Lahore on November 11 and 12 before returning to India through the Wagah Border on November 13.

The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has confirmed that, apart from India, hundreds of Sikh pilgrims from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia will also join the celebrations. All arrangements related to security, transport, accommodation, and food have been completed, with special teams from ETPB, local police, and district administrations deployed at key sites.

Read more: India bars Sikhs from Guru's anniversary

After the escalation of tensions in April this year, both India and Pakistan closed the Wagah/Attari border and expelled each other's citizens. Later, between May 6 and 10, the two countries engaged in a short but intense confrontation with each other.

In September, India denied permission to Sikh pilgrims to travel to Pakistan to attend Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 486th death anniversary, which was on September 22.

The birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji serves not only as a sacred occasion for followers of the Sikh faith but also as a profound symbol of Pakistan’s continued efforts to foster peace, tolerance, and interfaith harmony in the region.