Sikh pilgrims celebrate Baisakhi at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, hosted thousands of Sikh pilgrims on Monday to celebrate the harvest festival of Baisakhi, which ushers in the Sikh New Year, at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. More than 6,500 Indian Sikhs were issued visas by Pakistani authorities this year, more than in prior years.

Although it is typically difficult to get a visa to travel between the two nations, the governments have a special arrangement that permits pilgrims to visit places of worship and shrines. At Nankana Sahib, the principal Baisakhi ceremony took place. At Nankana Sahib, which is 75 kilometers west of Lahore, there are nine Sikh houses of worship, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

Rinko Kaur, who came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's native state of Gujarat, admitted that she was first apprehensive about going to Pakistan. "I should be with a group to be safe," she stated, citing her family's warnings about going. However, everyone has been friendly here. I witnessed folks exiting their homes and greeting us with waves. Rinko, who intends to go to other Sikh sacred places in Pakistan in the days ahead, remarked, "We feel like celebrities."