In a major boost to religious tourism and cross-border harmony, Pakistan approved 100% of Baisakhi visa applications this year, issuing 6,629 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims — more than double the usual quota. Thousands of Sikh devotees have gathered at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal this week to celebrate the vibrant Baisakhi Festival.
According to officials, nearly 3,000 pilgrims arrived from India, while hundreds more joined from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The influx has transformed the historic site into a bustling center of devotion, hymns, and cultural unity.
Baisakhi, observed annually on April 14, commemorates the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The occasion also marks the traditional spring harvest in Punjab, making it both a spiritual and cultural milestone for the global Sikh community.
For many pilgrims, the journey to Pakistan — home to some of Sikhism’s holiest sites — fulfills a lifelong spiritual aspiration. At Gurdwara Panja Sahib, devotees take part in religious services, volunteer in communal kitchens (langar), and support fellow visitors as acts of faith and service.
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The legend of Panja Sahib holds deep significance. As shared in Arab News, Sikh tradition recounts that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, miraculously stopped a boulder with his bare hand at this site. The boulder, believed to still bear the imprint of his palm (panja), gives the shrine its name and sacred standing.
Pakistan has made concerted efforts in recent years to promote religious tourism and preserve heritage sites for minority communities. A notable step was the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019, which provides Indian Sikh pilgrims visa-free access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib — the final resting place of Guru Nanak.
The expanded visa approvals this year are seen as a gesture of goodwill and a reaffirmation of Pakistan’s commitment to interfaith harmony and cultural exchange.
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