April 15, 2026
By Shah Bukhari
HASSAN ABDAL
For three days the Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal rained with bright colours and joy. When the Baisakhi festival finally concluded it ended on a note of spiritual fulfilment and rare cross-border warmth, as thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India and across the world gathered to observe one of Sikhism’s holiest celebrations with full religious freedom.
Approximately 6,000 Sikh pilgrims — including 2,238 from India — participated in the 327th Khalsa Janam Dan Baisakhi or Vaisakhi celebrations. The gathering carried special significance this year: it came against the backdrop of sharply deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan, making the pilgrimage a rare moment of human connection between the two nations.
“Governments have drawn a border, but there is no border between the hearts of our people,” said one of the Indian Sikh visitors, capturing the sentiment that echoed throughout the festival.
Indian pilgrims praised the Pakistani government for the quality of arrangements. “We have been issued around 3,000 visas. We came and visited all the gurdwaras. All arrangements — including transportation, food, and accommodation — were excellent. Pakistanis have shown us love. We hope that this mutual love on both sides continues to grow,” said Kulwinder Singh, one of the Indian Sikh pilgrims.
The longing for open borders ran deep among many attendees.
“I wish we were like birds, flying across boundaries at will. There should be no borders between us,” said Indrajeet Singh, another pilgrim from India.
For some, the visit stirred memories of ancestral roots left behind by Partition. “There are no borders in our hearts. My ancestors migrated from here. Our old village is ‘Halloki’ in Lahore district. We wish we could visit our village whenever we wanted,” said Darshan Singh.
Pilgrim Bhagwat Singh echoed the hopes of many when he quoted Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora: “Our borders are forever open for you and others from Indian Punjab. I hope that both governments will consider opening borders — and that this love between our peoples will only multiply.”
The religious ceremonies included Akhand Path and Nagar Kirtan processions, culminating in the main ceremony, Rasm-e-Bhog, which was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf. In his address, the minister announced that steps are being taken to restore and upgrade historical Sikh gurdwaras across Pakistan. He noted that modern construction projects are already underway at several sites, and that scholarships for minority students are also being pursued. A chairlift project is under consideration to ease access for elderly pilgrims to Sakhi Zinda Pir Pahari, while a modern residential complex for pilgrims near Panja Sahib is also being planned.
“If our guests are happy, our hearts are happy,” said Sardar Yousaf.
The ceremony was also attended by Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Chairman of the Abandoned Waqf Properties Board, along with a large number of domestic and foreign pilgrims. Officials reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of Hindu and Sikh communities.
With the festival concluded, the pilgrims have departed for Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, continuing their spiritual journey. On April 17, they are scheduled to visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Aimanabad before arriving in Lahore, from where they will return to India via the Wagah Border on April 19.
The peaceful and well-organised conduct of this year’s Baisakhi celebrations — attended by thousands despite political tensions — offered a quiet but powerful reminder that faith, memory, and shared humanity can endure where diplomacy has faltered.