Amritsar: A group of Sikh devotees on Thursday departed from Amritsar to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border. The devotees would visit the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, near Lahore, to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev's Prakash Parv -- which marks the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officer, Sukhvinder Singh said, "We came here at 6.30 am; people started coming here from 6 am itself; we have sent nine buses till now; two buses are still left; they were boarded in a very systematic way. Inside, sitting in room number 50 (CCTV room), we are keeping a complete watch so that no belongings, purses, or passports of the people are stolen."
The devotees said they were happy at the opportunity to visit one of Sikhism's holiest shrines, but added that more Visas should have been issued. According to the SGPC, out of 2,244 visa applications, only 1,481 were approved.
A pilgrim, Sohan Singh said, "I am going to Nankana Sahib for the first time. I am feeling great and I am very happy. I had applied for 11 visas from my village, out of which only four were granted. We are unhappy with both the governments -- the Pakistani government as well as the Indian government."
Another pilgrim, Navjot Kaur said, "For the future, the government should stop this visa system so that every Sikh can go to visit the Guru's Dham." The group will also visit other Gurdwaras in Pakistan before returning on November 23. Prakash Parv is celebrated on Karthik Purnima, which falls on November 15 this year.
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