By Chanchal Manohar Singh
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) would start Nagar Kirtan from Nankana Sahib, the birth place of the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru nanak Devji, on first August, 2019. The Nagar Kirtan will be led by Panj Piyars (Five beloved ones) draped in their Safron-Panthic colour robes with unseethed Kirpans (swords) in their hands, raised toward the sky.
The Guru Granth Sahib will be laid in a Palki in the specially designed bus for leading the Nagar Kirtan from Nanakana Sahib to Sultanpur Lodhi, in Kapurthala, India. This historic Nagar Kirtan has become possible because of the peace initiative taken by Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan. Imran Khan is committed to establish peace with India and working on it from the core of his heart.
The Nagar Kirtan will reach the Indo-Pak Border at Zero line, where from the Indian side, Guru Granth Sahib will be shifted into SGPC’s special bus, The Pakistan’s bus will return back to Nanakana Sahib. From Indo-Pak border at Attari, the Nagar Kirtan will follow the same mariyada and proceed to Sultanpur Lodhi, in Kapurthala, where it will disperse. The SGPC has got stamped 540 visas for the Sikh devotees , who would join the Nagar Kirtan from Nanakana Sahib to Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala.
The Bus will be provided by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (PSGMC). This Nagar Kirtan is an historic event for the Sikhs world over, because of the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru Guru, Nanakdevji, but, also because it is for the first time that a Sikh Nagar Kirtan will pass through the roads of Pakistan crossing three districts-Nanakana Sahib, Sheikhupura and Lahore-to reach the Indo-Pak border, Zero line at Wagha to cross the border into India at Attari. This is happening for the first time in the History of Indo-Pak, since partition of the Indian Subcontinent in August 1947.
Meanwhile, on July 30, this month, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) will lead a jatha of Sikh devotees from Golden Temple, Amritsar to Nanakana Sahib, which will return back to India on August 1, in the form of a Nagar Kirtan. The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holly Scripture, will be laid in a Palki on a specially designed bus, decorated with flowers , will lead the Nagar Kirtan from Gurdwara Nanakan Sahib, Janam Asthan Guru Nanak Devji, the buses of the Sikh devotees will follow the Nagar Kirtan. The Nagar Kirtan will reach the Indo-Pak Border at Zero line, where from the Indian side, Guru Granth Sahib will be shifted into SGPC’s special bus, The Pakistan’s bus will return back to Nanakana Sahib. From Indo-Pak border at Attari, the Nagar Kirtan will follow the same mariyada and proceed to Sultanpur Lodhi, in Kapurthala, where it will disperse. The SGPC has got stamped 540 visas for the Sikh devotees , who would join the Nagar Kirtan from Nanakana Sahib to Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, according to SGPC Chief Secretary, Roop Singh.
The SGPC was granted permission to “kick start” its 550th Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrations from Nanakana Sahib, had also been allotted 500 visas for devotees, but the SGPC got the visas numbers raised to 550. There is much excitement and enthusiasm among the Sikh devotees to join the Nagar Kirtan from Nanakana Sahib, but visas numbers have been restricted to 550 keeping in view the security arrangements of the devotees.
The SGPC Nagar Kirtan (Procession) which was earlier to depart on July 23 but date has to be postponed because of heavy floods in several districts Punjab, causing huge damage to crops and residential and commercial properties. Th devotees sought time to make arrangments for damaged crops and properities from the floods. waited for a few more days to observe if more heavy rains would further damage their whatever left of damaged crops.