4,000 Sikhs attended celebrations
Raza Naqvi Attock
The Sikh religious festival of Baisakhi, which marks the New Year, concluded here at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassanabdal on Thursday. The concluding ceremony “Bhog” was attended by over ten thousand Sikh and Hindu pilgrims. According to reports, around 4,000 Sikhs attended the celebrations. Of these, over 2,000 Sikhs came especially from India while over 500 came from various countries. As many as 2,000 Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs also attended the festival, adding colour to the annual Beskahi festival.
This year’s festival marks the 323 rd anniversary of Khalsa – the Pure Ones – a name for the Sikh brotherhood. It is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar, commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Gurdwara Panja Sahib is considered to be particularly important since devotees believe that a handprint of Sikhism founder, Guru Nanak, is imprinted on a boulder at the gurdwara.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony, Additional Secretary, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Rana Shahidsaid the government was committed to providing complete religious freedom to people of all faiths living in the country. He termed the Sikhs from India as “ambassadors of peace” and asked them to convey to fellow Sikhs living in India that there was no threat to their community in Pakistan.
