A Sikh jatha was flagged off on Wednesday from the office of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to historic gurudwaras in Pakistan to mark Shahidi Gurpurab.
It is after a gap of 14 years, that a Sikh Jatha will take part in the religious congregation marking the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev in Lahore. This fact was acknowledged by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj.
He stated that since Guru Arjan Dev had attained martyrdom in Lahore, it is essential for the entire Khalsa Panth to gather there every year on the Guru’s martyrdom anniversary and pay homage through Gurmat programmes and religious congregations.
He thanked governments of both India and Pakistan for facilitating the visit of Sikh pilgrims to pay obeisance at Sikh Gurdhams (religious places) on the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev after a gap of 14 years.
Under the 1974 agreement between India and Pakistan, four Sikh jathas travel annually to Pakistan for pilgrimage to Sikh Gurdhams. However, the last time a jatha visited Pakistan on Shahidi Gupurb of the fifth Sikh Guru was in June 2013.
Reciting ‘waheguru’ and listening to Gurbani, the Sikh jatha headed to the Attar-Wagah Joint Check post to cross over to Pakistan. As a special gesture the Union government opened the International Border with Pakistan to facilitate the pilgrimage on the holy occasion. Otherwise, the border has been lying closed since Operation Sindoor.
