New Delhi, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Government of India has approved a jatha of 3,000 Sikh devotees to travel to Pakistan for the Prakash Purab celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder and first Guru of Sikhism.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon said the jatha will cross the Wagah border on November 22 and return to India on December 1.
The DSGMC had sought permission for the pilgrimage from Union Home Minister Amit Shah through a letter dated July 1, 2026. The request was subsequently approved, allowing 3,000 Sikh devotees to undertake the 10-day pilgrimage.
During the visit, the pilgrims will pay obeisance at several important Sikh shrines in Pakistan, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.
Kalka and Kahlon said the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed that all required documents of pilgrims be thoroughly verified before the final list is forwarded to the Government of Pakistan. The jatha will travel strictly according to the approved list.
The ministry has also allocated state- and region-wise quotas for the pilgrimage. Delhi has been allotted 555 places through the DSGMC, while Punjab has received 1,800 places through the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
The remaining quota includes 200 devotees from Haryana, 15 from Himachal Pradesh, 40 from Jammu and Kashmir, 16 from Jharkhand, 10 each from Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, 90 from Maharashtra, 10 from Odisha, 50 from Rajasthan, 35 from Uttar Pradesh, 25 from Uttarakhand, five from West Bengal and 45 from Chandigarh.
The DSGMC office-bearers said the jatha will enter Pakistan through Wagah on November 22 and return through the same route on December 1.
They appealed to members of the Sikh Sangat intending to undertake the pilgrimage to submit their passports and other required documents well in advance to facilitate timely verification and necessary approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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