On Sunday, about 2,500 Sikh pilgrims travelled from India to Pakistan through the Wagah border to take part in the Vaisakhi Mela celebrations. According to the official of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), “During the ceremonies of the Sikh holiday – Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi – 2,470 pilgrims travelled here from India under the leadership of Sardar Amarjit Singh of the Parbandhak Committee Shiromani Gurdwara.”In Pakistan, the ETPB takes after the holy sites of minorities. At the Wagah border, the pilgrims were welcomed by Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Bandhak Committee Pradhan Sardar Ameer Singh and ETPB Chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani.According to the official, the Sikh pilgrims were taken to Nankana Sahib under tight protection so they could carry out sacred rites at Baba Guru Nanaks birthplace. The main event, which will include political, religious, and Sikh figures, will take place on April 14 at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal, he said.During their visit, the pilgrims will also visit Rohri Sahib, Aminabad, Kartarpur, and Farooqabad before their departure on April 18. ETPB Chairman said that they are making the best possible arrangements, and the administration will assure that they will be provided with the best medical and travel arrangements along with security.The leader of SGPC Amarjit Singh Bhalipur also expressed happiness over their visit. He also stressed on ease of visas for pilgrims from both nations.Before this, a meeting was held to discuss all the arrangements. Rana Shahid Saleem, the Additional Secretary of Shrines, Saifullah Khokhar, the Deputy Secretary of Shrines, and Sardar Ameer Singh, the Chairman of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), all attended the meeting.Moreover, personnel from the Rangers, police, district administration, Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, and Hasan Abdal attended the meeting along with representatives from federal and provincial institutions. The additional shrine secretary provided a thorough explanation of the plans and timetable for the Baisakhi festival and Khalsa Janam Day activities.Significance of BaisakhiBaisakhi typically falls on April 13 or 14 on the first day of the Vaisakh month according to the Hindu calendar. Signifying the onset of the spring harvest season, the festival is predominantly celebrated in Northern India. This year, according to Drik Panchang, the Vaisakh Sakranti moment is expected to happen at 03:12 pm on April 14.The festival is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world, with both religious and harvest significance. It commemorates the founding of the Khalsa (the clean one), initiated by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and final Sikh Guru, on Vaisakhi day in 1699. Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed equality for all people on this day by abolishing the division between higher and lower caste societies. According to Drik Panchang, the Sikh Guru tradition eventually came to an end when the Guru Granth Sahib was proclaimed Sikhisms Holy Book and Eternal Constitution.The festival is also a time when Gurdwaras organize special prayers in honour of the rabi crop harvest. Baisakhi is primarily celebrated by Hindus in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of North India also.Last visit of Indian Sikhs to PakistanBefore this, around 2,420 pilgrims visited Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari border to celebrate Gurunanak Jayanti last year in November. The Sikhs community visited Nanakna Sahib and Sacha Sauda from November 6 to November 15. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Haryana Yatri Sikh Jatha, Sukhmani Sahab Sewa Society, Haryana arranged the programme for the visit.
