Thousands of Sikh devotees gathered at Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal to perform the main ceremony, ‘Bhog’, of the Baisakhi festival. The temple reverberated with Sikh religious chants as pilgrims celebrated the harvest festival, which also marks the beginning of the harvest season. The devotees, dressed in vibrant attire, performed various rituals, including ‘Keerthan’ and ‘Ardaas’, to conclude the three-day reading of the holy book, ‘Granth Sahib’. The festival holds particular significance as it commemorates the 325th anniversary of the Khalsa, the Sikh brotherhood, established by the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Around 8,000 Sikhs, including 2,400 from India and 2,000 from other countries, attended the celebrations, along with 2,000 Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs. Diplomats from European and South East missions also participated in the ceremony. Sikh leaders expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government for facilitating their pilgrimage and highlighted the importance of the Kartarpur corridor. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring religious freedom for all faiths in Pakistan. The pilgrims will continue their journey to other sacred sites, including Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Rori Sahib, before concluding their 10-day pilgrimage
