TAXILA, April 12: The three-day Sikh religious festival, Besakhi, started on Saturday at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassanabdal. Over 400 Sikh yatrees from all over the country and abroad have reached Hassanabdal to participate in the festival.

Most of the yatrees, who have arrived Hassanabdal, belong to FATA, Peshawar, Swat, Tando Adam, Larkana, Sukkur, Badin, Umar Kot, Karachi and Lahore. A sizable number has come from India, United Kingdom, Canada, Afghanistan, Germany and Switzerland.

The main event of the Besakhi mela will be held on Sunday, the second day of the festival.

Gurdwara, which means a door to Guru, is related to Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion.

According to the Sikh religion, the Besakhi festival is celebrated only at the holy city of Hassanabdal, where lies the Gurdwara Punja Sahib. In 1921, it was decided by the Gurus (elders) of the Sikh religion to celebrate the event on the first day of Sunsikrat month of Besakh in memory of the day of the first Besakh in the year 1699 when the 10th Guru of the Sikh religion awarded Punj Kaaf slot and symbol to Guru Goband at the city of Anandpur Sahib (India).

The festival would be concluded on April 14 and the yatrees would start leaving their holy place in the same evening through special caravans. Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board have made special arrangements for the boarding and lodging of the yatrees.