Pakistan hosts Sikh celebration

Sikh pilgrims from all over the world congregated

By Arif Shamim in Nankana Sahib

Thousands of Sikhs from around the world have been celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the founder of their religion, Guru Nanak, in Pakistan.

The pilgrims, who have travelled from North America, the United Kingdom and India, congregated at the city of Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore, where Guru Nanak was born in 1469.

Our spirits are high and we want to enjoy it till the end

Taranjit Singh from Bradford, UK

The usually quiet city was converted into a business centre, teeming with pilgrims shopping at the local markets with hordes of turbaned Sikhs and their families buying souvenirs for people back home.

They were joined in the festivities by Pakistan's tiny Sikh and Hindu communities.

"If we cannot be happy in our Mecca, then what else could make us happy," says Prem Singh Premi, 22, a Sikh resident of Nankana Sahib, said.

Congregating

Taranjit Singh from Bradford, England, said the trip was like a dream come true.

"We are a group of about 49 peopleż Our spirits are high and we want to enjoy it till the end," he said.

Satpal Singh Gill, an insurance broker also from Bradford, said that he was amazed to see Pakistan are taking care of the gurdwaras - the Sikh temples.

A festive atmosphere

"More money should be spent by the Sikh community here and it will not only increase the business activity but will further trigger the development of the area," he said.

The pilgrims were welcomed by the Pakistani President, Rafiq Tarar, who formally inaugurated a newly constructed residential block in the Gurdwara premises.

In turn, the leaders of the Sikh community presented the president with a ceremonial sword.

Festivities

The pilgrims spent most of their time flocking between the seven gurdwaras, each symbolising various events in Guru Nanak's life.

The ordeal at the Attari railway station in India is hard to forget

Sardar Singh

Sardar Singh, from India, said he was happy he had made it to Pakistan.

But he was bitter about a delay at the Indian border station, which led to protests by the Sikh community.

"The ordeal at the Attari railway station in India is hard to forget. [The Indian authorities] did not do anything for us and we got stuck for almost 12 hours," he said.

The celebrations ended in a grand procession

The festivities attracted roving minstrels, singing Punjabi folk poetry.

Brightly coloured floats were on parade and banners from all over the world were strung up.

The celebrations ended with a grand procession in which the Sikh holy book, the Granth Sahib, was carried on a flower-laden silver platform by bearers, into the gurdwara.