NAROWAL: Sikh pilgrims celebrated the 322nd Baisakhi Mela at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, on Monday.

Up to 818 Sikhs from India came to border town Kartarpur through the corridor in a procession. They will leave for India after an overnight stay at the holy place.

Other than India, pilgrims from Pakistan, Dubai, the US and Canada were also at the Baisakhi festival.

Those entering Pakistan through the corridor were received by the Kartarpur administration, officials and the members of Pakistan Waqf Property Board. The staff showered rose petals on them and wore them garlands.

Sikh pilgrims from all over the world come to Kartarpur to visit Baba Guru Nanak’s Gurdwara. They bow and lay flowers at Baba Guru Nanak’s Samadhi and tomb. Sikh Sangats perform religious rites.

Sikhs celebrate 322nd Baisakhi Mela

The pilgrims distributed sweets among the participants as part of the celebrations. A few pilgrims expressed their joyous by distributing currency notes to children on the occasion.

They visited parts of Darbar Sahab, including Baba Guru Nanak’s well, Missile Sahab, library, and museum, and took pictures of the sites.

The president of a women organization in India, Mandir Kaur Sindhu, said that the Kartarpur corridor was made at to the requests of their elders and they were proud to be at Gurdwara through crossing into Pakistan via corridor.

She said they were deeply grateful to Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and the government of Pakistan for fulfilling the heartfelt wish of the Sikhs. Ms Sindhu said that despite the coronavirus, good food, transport facilities, and security details were provided to them in Pakistan.

She said that she had to say with regrets that the Pakistani government had opened the Kartarpur corridor for the Sikhs but the Modi government closed it over internal Indian politics.

“I urge the Indian government and the Modi government to open the Kartarpur corridor so that Sikh pilgrims can perform their religious rites in Kartarpur without any problem,” Sardar Babul Singh said, adding that Baba Guru Nanak’s Gurdwara was their home.

“We’re very happy to be home,” he said and added his father and grandfather used to see Gurdwara Darbar Kartarpur Sahib through binoculars from the border. “Today is the first time I have come to Kartarpur. Glad to see Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan. Our gurdwaras are taken care of like mosques in Pakistan. I am very happy to meet the people of Pakistan. It’s like we’re in our own home.”

Pilgrims from all over the world were served with kari chawal, channa chawal, aloo palak, gurr waly chawal, fruits, tea, cold milk, and other beverages. At the no men’s land, Sikh pilgrims performed religious rites and requested India to allow Sikhs to come to Kartarpur to perform religious rites.

The Narowal district administration Narowal set up a medical camp in Kartarpur to facilitate Sikh pilgrims. The bomb disposal squads swept the entire Kartarpur and made the security foolproof. Rescue 1122 set up posts near Circular Road and at a Bijli Ghar Chowk. An ambulance of Rescue 1122 accompanied the caravan of Sikh pilgrims. Rangers and police elite force personnel were deployed at the site.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2021