250 Indian Sikhs arrive in Lahore for religious rituals
I hope they get a chance to roam around a bit in Lahore. I know the Sikhs have a special reverence for our beloved Lahore.Lahore: About 250 Indian Sikh pilgrims arrived here on Thursday via the Wagah border to attend religious ceremonies in the memory of their martyrs at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of the religion's founder, Guru Nanak, in this Pakistani city.
Officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which maintains the shrines of Pakistan's minority communities, and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee greeted the pilgrims at the Wagah border.
Sardar Jageer Singh, the leader of the Indian delegation, said the pilgrims had come to Pakistan to observe 'Shahidi Saka Sri' in the memory of their martyrs.
He praised ETPB Chairman Syed Asif Hashmi for providing free transport and accommodation facilities to the 'yatris'.
During their seven-day stay in Pakistan, the Sikhs will participate in religious rituals at Gurdwara Janamsthan in Nankana Sahib.
They will also visit several other gurdwaras, including Sucha Sauda in Farooqabad, Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal and Dera Sahib in Lahore.
Hashmi said the ETPB has made arrangements for providing free lodging and boarding to the 'yatris'.
Foolproof security arrangements have been made at Gurdwara Janamsthan to ensure the safety of the pilgrims, he said.
PTI