A 290-member Sikh jatha departed from Amritsar for Pakistan on Sunday to participate in the death anniversary commemorations of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The pilgrims gathered at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) office in Amritsar, where they were seen off by SGPC officials amid recitation of Gurbani and religious slogans of “Sat Sri Akal”.
Jatha composition and send-off
The jatha was led by SGPC members Khushwinder Singh Bhatia and Harjinder Kaur, along with deputy secretary Azaddeep Singh, who presented Guru Bakhshish Siropa to the devotees. SGPC Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan, OSD to the SGPC president Satbir Singh, and Secretary Balwinder Singh Kahlwan were present to see off the pilgrims.
Visa process and numbers
Mannan stated that SGPC organizes such pilgrimages annually on the occasion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary. This year, passports of 302 devotees were sent to the Pakistan Embassy for visas, of which 290 were cleared. He noted the strong desire among the Sikh community to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan and urged both governments to ensure timely visa grants to avoid inconvenience to devotees.
Planned itinerary
Bhatia expressed his honor in leading the jatha with the blessings of Guru Sahibans. The pilgrims will first visit Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Rori Sahib, and Gurdwara Dehra Sahib before attending the main death anniversary celebrations of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 29. The jatha is scheduled to return to India on June 30.
