The other pilgrimage: Only those who the Guru calls go to Nankana Sahib singing and dancing

Around 6,000 yatrees travel to the birthplace of Guru Nanak to celebrate his 543rd birthday.

KARACHI: As Muslims celebrated Eidul Azha, around 6,000 Sikhs started to travel to Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, from across the province, to celebrate the 543rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 8. The celebrations for “Gurpurb”- the festival of the birth of the gurus of Sikhism, will conclude today, Thursday.

Although Gurpurb, which literally means the festival of gurus, is celebrated for each birthday of the ten gurus of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev holds a slightly more exalted position as the religion’s founder. His birth anniversary falls on a full moon day in the month of Karthik Poornima, which usually comes in November of the Gregorian calendar. Some experts say that his birthday is actually the day when he received his “enlightenment”. The other nine gurus are said to have acquired a part of enlightenment from Guru Nanak Dev.

Nankana Sahib lies near Lahore in Sheikhupura district. Guru Dev was born here in 1469. Every year, thousands of Sikh pilgrims and Hindu followers of Guru Nanak, from India and Pakistan, visit the birthplace of Sikhism to pay their respects to the first guru.

Guru Granth Sahib Gurdwara at Narayan Pura and the Swami Narayan Mandir on MA Jinnah Road held Gurpurb festivities in Karachi. The celebrations started on Monday, according to Bhola Singh, who is a regular visitor of Guru Granth Sahib Gurdwara. “Akhund Paat”, the nonstop recitation of Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture, for 48 hours is the main feature of the Gurpurb. People dress up and visit gurdwaras for “sangat” - a gathering of community members. There is free food and people listen to hymns, the teachings of Guru Nanak and perform small chores at the Gurdwara.

Two trains, called the “Sikh Yatri Special Train” service departed from Hyderabad with around 2,500 pilgrims from Shahdadpur, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur, Sukkur, Rohri, Larkana, Kandhkot, Jacobabad and Mithi.

All the arrangements for the festival were made by the Evacuee Trust Property Board. The board is responsible for looking after all the property that was abandoned during Partition. It also manages the properties and historical places of religious minorities.

While Bhola Sain waited for the Karakoram Express at the Karachi station, with 70 others, on Sunday, he told The Express Tribune that a Sikh delegation met Taj Haider, the general secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Sindh, and requested him to ask the board to make arrangements for Sikh ‘yatrees’. Sardar Ramesh Singh appreciated the arrangements made by the board for Gurpurb and requested similar facilities for their other festivals as well.

Devi Das, from Jacobabad, was travelling with his wife and 15-month-old son. According to him, he had been making the pilgrimage for the past 15 years. “Only those whom the Guru calls can make the pilgrimage,” he believed.

The travellers told The Express Tribune that they expected the trains and stations to be crowded because of Eid. But they said that they faced no problems in booking tickets for their “yatra”. “Instead, we were facilitated,” said Kaur Surveen. She was travelling with her family and mother-in-law. She seemed to be excited about her second visit to Nankana after many years. Another reason was that she got to travel with other people from her faith which happened rarely. “We will go singing and dancing along the way.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th,  2011.

Watch a slideshow of Sikh pilgrims arriving from India here.