AMRITSAR/LAHORE— A special jatha of Sikh pilgrims is scheduled to depart for Pakistan on June 10 to participate in the annual martyrdom anniversary congregations of the fifth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. The upcoming religious pilgrimage has generated immense enthusiasm among the community, with nearly 600 devotees already submitting their passports to complete the necessary visa documentation and processing.
According to the finalized itinerary, the jatha will pay obeisance at various historic Sikh shrines across Pakistan in addition to attending the main martyrdom day events in Lahore, before returning to India on June 19. In recent years, unresolved disputes regarding the dates of the Nanakshahi calendar had unfortunately prevented the community from participating in these sacred annual congregations. While preparations are currently underway in full swing this year, a sense of anxious anticipation prevails among organizers and pilgrims alike as the government has yet to release the official notification for the travel clearance.
Jatha organizers expressed strong optimism that the statutory government approvals will be granted shortly. They emphasized that a timely clearance is vital to ensure that the registered Sikh pilgrims face no procedural bottlenecks or administrative delays in visiting their ancestral and historic holy shrines across the border.
