World | Pakistan
Sikhs attend Nanak birth anniversary celebrations
Nankana Sahib, a sacred city for the Sikhs and located in the Pakistani province of Punjab, has come to life as nearly 10,000 Sikh pilgrims from India, Europe and America are attending the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.
- By Amir Mir, Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 November 6, 2006
- Sikh pilgrims gather to pay homage to their spiritual religious leader Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib, 85km west of Lahore.
- Image Credit: AP
Lahore: Nankana Sahib, a sacred city for the Sikhs and located in the Pakistani province of Punjab, has come to life as nearly 10,000 Sikh pilgrims from India, Europe and America are attending the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.
According to the chairman of the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (PGPC) Sardar Mustan Singh, the celebrations, already in full swing, were to conclude last night.
He said in an unprecedented gesture of goodwill, the Pakistan government had issued visas to more than 10,000 Sikh pilgrims from India, Europe and America to visit Pakistan and participate in the three-day celebrations of the birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak.
Sardar Mustan Singh said that free food is being provided to all the Sikh pilgrims and they have been provided accommodation by the Punjab government close to the Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak.
The markets of Nankana Sahib have been specially decorated and special stalls were set up to feature traditional food and apparel and books and cassettes on Punjabi poetry and the Sikh religion.
Thousands of Sikh devotees are thronging Gurdwara Janam Asthan while reciting verses from Guru Granth Sahib - the Sikh holy book to pay tributes to their spiritual leader, he said.
According to Sardar Mustan Singh, today, the Sikh pilgrims will proceed to Hassan Abdal, a small city of Punjab, to visit the Sikh holy places there. He said they will visit Lahore on November 8, where they will stay at Dera Sahib until November 11.
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