LAHORE: Pakistani officials warmly received dozens of Sikh pilgrims from India at the Wagah-Attari border on Tuesday, offering them flowers and showering rose petals as a gesture of hospitality.
This marked the first significant border crossing since May, when deadly clashes led to the closure of the land border between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
More than 2,100 pilgrims were granted visas to attend a 10-day festival marking 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith, Pakistan’s High Commission (embassy) in New Delhi said last week.
The pilgrims will gather on Wednesday at Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace about 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Lahore by road, and later visit other sacred sites in Pakistan, including Kartarpur, where the guru is buried.
Public holiday declared on Nov 5
The district administration of Nankana Sahib has announced a public holiday on November 5 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and a highly respected spiritual leader in South Asia.
As per a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Taslim Akhtar Rao, all government offices, schools, and colleges across the district will remain closed on this day.
A representative from the Nankana Sahib district administration confirmed that the holiday is intended to accommodate both local and international Sikh pilgrims arriving in the city for the festivities.
The notification further clarifies that while institutions such as public offices, government departments, schools, and colleges will remain closed within the district boundaries, essential services will operate as usual.
