Thousands of Sijs were in Pakistan to celebrate Vaisakhi, a harvest festival that marks the beginning of the new SIJ year and is observed mainly in Punjab and northern India.
The Pakistani authorities this year granted more than 6,500 visas to the Indian SIJS, a higher number than the previous years. The visas to travel between the two countries are usually difficult to obtain, but governments have a special agreement that allows pilgrims to visit sanctuaries and places of worship.
Vaisakhi’s main ceremony was a hero in Nankana Sahib, where the founder of the Saikh Faith, Guru Nanak, was born.
Gurdwara Janam Asthan is one of the nine places of Sija cult in Nankana Sahib, which is about 75 kilometers (46 miles) west of Lahore.
Rinko Kaur traveled from the western state of Gujarat of India, where he is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said she initially doubted Visit Pakistan.
“My family warned me about going … and said that I should with a group to be safe,” Kaur said.
But she said people have been cozy.
“I saw people leave their homes, greeting as a welcome gesture. We feel that we are celebrities,” said Kaur, who plans to visit other sacred SIJ sites in Pakistan in the next few days.
Many SIJ sacred sites are found in Pakistan after the British divided the subcontinent into separate nations in 1947 after two centuries of colonial domain.
Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif said that Vaisakhi was a moment of “great joy for farmers.” The festival also encourages a spirit of hope, unity and renewal that inspires and unites communities, Sharif added.