Amritsar: A group of 541 Sikh pilgrims was ceremonially flagged off from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) headquarters on Tuesday to visit historic Sikh shrines in Pakistan and participate in the martyrdom anniversary celebrations of the fifth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
The jatha was dispatched under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Bhalwan. SGPC Secretary Gurinder Singh Mathrewal honoured the pilgrims with garlands and presented them with siropas (robes of honour) before their departure.
The pilgrims expressed immense joy at receiving the opportunity to visit Sikh heritage sites in Pakistan, especially as a jatha is travelling for Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s Shaheedi Gurpurab after a gap of 14 years. They said the visit would allow them to pay obeisance at several revered gurdwaras associated with Sikh history.
The SGPC made special arrangements for the pilgrims, including dedicated buses to transport them to the Attari border and provisions for food and other necessities. A team of SGPC officials has also accompanied the group to ensure that pilgrims do not face any difficulties during the journey.
During their visit, the pilgrims will offer prayers at Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Rori Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The jatha will participate in the martyrdom anniversary celebrations of Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Lahore on June 18 before returning to India on June 19.
According to SGPC officials, passports of 561 applicants were submitted for visas. Of these, 541 pilgrims were granted visas, while 20 applications were not approved.
