Sikh devotees start pouring in Hassanabdal for festival Besakhi
- April 11, 2018, 9:55 pm
- National News
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Sikh devotees start pouring in Hassanabdal for festival Besakhi
HASSANABAD, April 11 (INP): Scores of Sikh pilgrims from various parts of country including India started pouring in at Gurdwara Punja Sahib Hassanabdal as the celebration of Sikh religious festival Besakhi would commenced from Thursday.
Besakhi, one of the major festivals of Sikhs, also known as Baisakhi Vaisakhi - - honours the founding of Sikh community known as the Khalsa. It also marks the beginning of a new solar year and the harvesting season. Traditionally, during their stay at a Gurdwara, Sikh pilgrims sleep on the floor. The festival begins with the recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. The entire 1,430 pages of the text are read during these three days. The celebrations culminate with the end of the recitation on the third day of the Besakh (April 14) and the ‘Bhog’, or conclusion ceremony is performed.
Deputy Secretary General Evacuee Trust Property Board Faraz Abbas said this while talking to INP? said, the Sikh pilgrims which include three thousand Indian Sikh yatree and hundreds from across the world will visit Gurdwara to perform rituals including Holy Bath, recitation of holy book Guru Grunt.
DCO Rana Akbar Hayat briefed newsman regarding administrative measures that sikh pilgrims will be provided all facilities which include accommodation, mess, health and other facilities.
Security Arrangement: DPO Attock Ibadat Nisar has made elaborate security arrangements in and around the Gurdwara which include installation of CCTV cameras, walk through gates and metal detectors and scanners and deployment of more than one thousand police personnel in uniform and plain clothes. The Sikh temple on this occasion turned in to castle as fully equipped police flanked with anti terrorist units and commandos contingent have took positions around temple in connection to escalated security measures. All roads leading to the temple were sealed and only authorized persons and pilgrims were allowed to pass through the roads after proper verification and checking.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in collaboration with Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have made adequate arrangements for boarding, lodging and lungar at Gurdwara Punja Shib which was given festive look on this holy occasion.
On April 18, the devotees will leave for Dera Sahib in Lahore, where they will pay obeisance at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal and Gurdwara Roori Sahib in Gujranwala during their three-day stay. The ‘jatha’ will return home on April 21.
