Indian Sikh pilgrims arrive at Gurdwara Panja Sahib,

SPECIAL REPORT
HASAN ABDAL, Pakistan | Nov 7, 2025 | By Ali Imran Chattha, !

praise Pakistan's hospitality amid Guru Nanak birth anniversary rites
 

More than 2,100 Indian Sikh pilgrims arrived at the historic Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal on Thursday, wrapping up rituals at Gurdwara Sachcha Sauda in Farooqabad as part of a 10-day tour marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism.

Escorted in three secure bus convoys under tight security from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the group was welcomed by ETPB Additional Secretary Shrines Nasir Mushtaq and local officials. The site, revered for the handprint of Guru Nanak said to be imprinted in a rock, has been festooned with lights, canopies and langar - communal kitchens - for the pilgrims' one-day stay, where they will also visit the shrine of Baba Wali Kandhari.
Pilgrims voiced strong approval of the arrangements. "This year, the bedding, accommodation, langar and clean water have all been upgraded - excellent facilities," said Nishan Singh, a member of India's Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Deputy leader Gurmeet Singh Boh added: "Pakistan's religious sites are beautiful and preserved in their original form. We are grateful to the ETPB and government."
Harmit Singh Chandu, from the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, highlighted round-the-clock medical aid, transport and services as "clear evidence of Pakistan's love and care for minorities."
Mushtaq credited his team and district authorities for the seamless three-day festivities at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib earlier this week. "These pilgrims from India and worldwide take back a message of peace and love from Pakistan, helping to dispel any negative perceptions," he told reporters.
The tour, the first major cross-border pilgrimage since May's brief military flare-up dubbed Operation Sindoor, underscores fragile people-to-people ties despite lingering tensions. Pilgrims crossed via the Wagah-Attari border on Nov. 4, heading next to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur before departing on Nov. 13.
Gurdwara Sachcha Sauda, 15 km west of Sheikhupura near Farooqabad, commemorates Guru Nanak's act of feeding hungry saints during his travels. Security remains heightened, with rangers, police and ETPB forces deployed across sites.
The delegation, led by Akal Takht's Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and including SGPC's Bibi Gurinder Kaur, reflects renewed efforts to foster interfaith harmony amid regional strains.