About 40,000 Sikh pilgrims, many from India, were warmly received in Nankana Sahib to mark Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary, with marigolds, hymns and communal kitchens. Emotional reunions and scenes of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs celebrating together highlighted deep personal ties despite political tensions. The May clashes that killed more than 70 people have left relations strained, and the 2019 Kartarpur corridor remains closed from the Indian side. The festival runs through November, underscoring calls for peace and shared humanity.
Sikhs Welcomed in Nankana Sahib: 40,000 Pilgrims Cross Into Pakistan Amid Lingering Tensions
About 40,000 Sikh pilgrims, many from India, were warmly received in Nankana Sahib to mark Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary, with marigolds, hymns and communal kitchens. Emotional reunions and scenes of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs celebrating together highlighted deep personal ties despite political tensions. The May clashes that killed more than 70 people have left relations strained, and the 2019 Kartarpur corridor remains closed from the Indian side. The festival runs through November, underscoring calls for peace and shared humanity.
17:38, 05.11.2025Society
Sikhs Welcomed in Nankana Sahib Amid Calls for Peace
The streets of Nankana Sahib were scrubbed clean and decorated with marigolds as Sikh pilgrims arrived to mark the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. About 40,000 worshippers — many travelling from neighbouring India — gathered at the sacred shrine, creating a scene of devotion, communal service and emotional reunions.
Warm reception despite political strain
Organisers and pilgrims described a heartfelt welcome. Banners fluttered and volunteers prepared food in giant communal kitchens that served everyone regardless of faith. Inside the shrine complex, hymns filled the air while men and women prayed and some performed ritual dips in a pond.
“We were worried about what the environment would be like on the Pakistan side and how people would treat us,” said 46-year-old Inderjit Kaur. “But it has been lovely. We were given a warm welcome.”
Reunions and shared humanity
Amid the celebrations, moving personal reunions underscored the human ties that cross borders. A 90-year-old Muslim man, Muhammad Bashir, embraced Sharda Singh, a Sikh whose family left Pakistan during the 1947 partition. Both men broke down in tears after decades apart.
“I thought I would die without meeting you. But at last you are here. Now I can die in peace,” Bashir said.
Petals, processions and communal service
Devotees — many barefoot — waved saffron flags and sang sacred poetry as they processed through the city. Women chopped vegetables and men stirred huge cauldrons of rice, chickpeas and lentils in langars (community kitchens). Roofs and streets showered pilgrims with rose petals, and even an aircraft dropped petals over the crowd.
Local Muslims and Hindus joined Sikhs, dancing to the beat of the dhol and sharing in the celebrations, symbolising a spirit of coexistence. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Pakistan's religious affairs minister, told the crowd, “Religion is individual, but humanity is shared.”
Context: tensions remain
These scenes of unity came against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. The clashes in May — the most serious exchange between the two countries since 1999 — involved missiles, drones and artillery and killed more than 70 people. A corridor opened in 2019 at Kartarpur remains closed from the Indian side since May, limiting access for some pilgrims.
The festival continues through November with further events planned in Kartarpur and elsewhere, as pilgrims and hosts alike emphasise peace, brotherhood and the enduring bonds between people separated by borders.