3,000 Indian pilgrims granted visas for Guru Nanak’s 555th anniversary

In honor of Guru Nanak’s 555th birth anniversary, Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to more than 3,000 Indian pilgrims.

According to a spokesperson for the Pakistani High Commission, the visas, valid from November 14 to 23, were granted under the 1974 Pakistan-India religious tourism agreement.

Indian pilgrims will enter Pakistan through the Wagah border on November 14, with the main celebration set for November 15 at the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

During their 10-day stay, pilgrims will visit several important Sikh sites, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, and Gurdwara Rori Sahib in Eminabad.

On November 19, pilgrims will attend a ceremony at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. They will then stay at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore before returning to India via Wagah on November 24.

A reception for the pilgrims at Wagah is scheduled for November 14.

Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, President of the Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, advised Indian pilgrims to bring US dollars rather than Indian currency to avoid exchange rate issues in Pakistan.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Naqvi announced on-arrival visas for Sikh pilgrims from countries such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, with expectations of a high number of pilgrims visiting Pakistan this year.

However, the Pakistani High Commission rejected 1,481 visa applications out of 2,244 submitted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Amritsar, approving only 763 visas.