New Delhi, Sept 27, 2022 (Yes Punjab News)
A Sikh Jatha (group of pilgrims) will visit neighbouring country Pakistan to participate in the Saka Panja Sahib centenary event being organized at the holy Sikh shrine Gurdwara Panja Sahib Ji at Hassan Abdal around 45 kilometres away from Rawalpindi to the west side of the mountain said Harmeet Singh Kalka President DSGMC here today
Saka Panja Sahib, the heroic event took place at the Hasan Abdal railway station in Pakistan close to the sacred shrine of Panja Sahib on October 30, 1922, when Sikh masses of Panja Sahib wanted to provide Langar (community meals ) to Sikh prisoners at Hasan Abdal railways station who were arrested for peaceful protests in Amritsar and were being sent by special trains to distant jails.
Around 200 Sikhs stopped a train forcefully carrying Sikh prisoners to offer them food as authorities refused to halt the train at the station. Some of them attained martyrdom in the incident as they lay on the track to stop the train.
They were hailed as martyrs and, until the partition of 1947, a three-day religious fair used to be held in their memory at Pahja Sahib from 30 October to 1 November every year.
The Jatha will cross over to Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah border checkpoint on 28 th October and will return back to Amritsar on 2nd November.
The Sikh jatha will visit historic gurdwaras in Pakistan, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Lahore before returning on November 2.
A total of 240 pilgrims from across the country will cross over to Pakistan on the 28th of October out of which about 40 devotees are being sent by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC ) from the National Capital Region of Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad etc said Harmeet Singh Kalka President DelhI Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee here today.
All pilgrims should be vaccinated with both doses against Covid-19 and must undergo a Covid test 72 hours before leaving for Pakistan.
A negative Report of RTPCR is mandatory for visiting devotees and further RAT will be conducted on arrival at Joint Check Post Atttari Wagha border under an arrangement of CHE/Punjab Govt and Positive cases will be returned back to Inda said Harmeet Singh Kalka President Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee here today
The fair bus/train will be around 6000/7000 Indian Rupees in Pakistan during the visit said Jagdip Singh Kahlon General Secretary, DSGMC.
The accommodation for visiting devotees will be arranged by Govt of Pakistan. The staff of the Evacuee Trust Properties Board ( ETPB) Govt of Pakistan will issue room numbers in all gurdwaras in Pakistan to the visiting devotees.
The DSGMC will hold a special Covid-19 testing camp for the pilgrims at its office in Rakab Ganj Sahib , the dates of which would be disclosed shortly
The devotees are advised to avoid heavy luggage with them said Jagdip Singh Kahlon General Secretary, DSGMC.
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