TAXILA: The rituals in connection with 546th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion, concluded at Gurdwara Punja Sahab in Hassanabdal on Sunday.

The temple was decorated with colourful flowers, flags, banners and posters and thousands of devotees could be seen praying in the gurdwara’s vast courtyard. Celebrations began early in the morning, with pilgrims cleansing themselves at the holy pond.

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Several congregations were held during the day, which recalled Guru Nanak’s message of peace, love and universal brotherhood.

Visitors urge relaxation of visa restrictions; ETPB presents bottles of Amrat Jal to departing pilgrims

Special prayers were offered and hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib - the Sikh holy scripture - were sung. Pilgrims pledged to comply with the teachings of the guru.

Sikh yatrees and Hindu devotees came to Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal in large numbers to celebrate the 546th Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Followers of Sikhism from all over the world, particularly from neighboring India, make the pilgrimage to Pakistan several times a year.

The most significant occasion is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Talking to newsmen, a large number of visiting Sikh pilgrims have urged the governments of Pakistan and India to remove visa restrictions for senior citizens and relax some immigration laws to facilitate such visits.

They stressed the need for more and uninterrupted people-to-people contacts to promote peace in the region.

Pilgrims slept in the courtyard of the temple, where a sudden change of climate and low overnight temperatures left many feeling under the weather. Medicines were provided to them at a medical centre established at the temple.

Later, the pilgrims left for Lahore on special trains to perform rituals at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, from where they will leave for India.

Also on Sunday, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Siddiqul Farooq expressed his commitment towards the maintenance of religious places of minorities.

He told mediapersons of plans to construct 1,000 retiring rooms at various Sikh temples across Pakistan and the renovation of Bannu Hall at the Gurdawara Punja Sahib. The chairman said that steps were being taken for the establishment of a Baba Guru Nanak University.

He said that for the first time, Amrat Jal (holy water) had been presented in bottles to the pilgrims from India and overseas by the ETPB.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2014