The first group of Sikh pilgrims will be received by Prime Minister Imran Khan when the corridor opens tomorrow.
Sikhs from all over the world are stunned days in advance before the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, which will allow pilgrims to cross from India to Pakistan to visit one of the most sacred places of religion.
In this image taken on November 6, Pakistani (R) security officials and Sikh pilgrims walk in front of the Baba Guru Nanak Dev Shrine in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib before opening in Kartarpur. – AFPThe Kartapur corridor will open on Saturday. – Photo provided by Adnan SheikhThe first group of Sikh pilgrims will be received by Prime Minister Imran Khan when the corridor opens on Saturday. – Photo provided by Adnan SheikhIn this image taken on November 6, a worker walks in front of the Baba Guru Nanak Dev Shrine in Gurdwara Darbar Sahib before opening in Kartarpur. – AFP
The first group of Sikh pilgrims will be received by Prime Minister Imran Khan when the corridor opens on Saturday at the shrine that marks the tomb of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, in Kartarpur, just four kilometers from the border.
"They are very excited," said the custodian of the Kartarpur shrine, Ramash Singh Arora. AFP on Thursday, saying he hoped the initiative will pave the way for similar access to other Sikh sites in Pakistan in the future.
"If you look at the story, the basis of Sikhism is from Pakistan."
Buses outside the Shrine of Baba Guru Nanak Dev in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. – Photo provided by Adnan SheikhA policeman watches the exterior of the shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore on November 7. – AFPSikh pilgrims pray as they participate in a ritual procession at a shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore, on November 7. – AFP
In the months leading up to the opening, Pakistan employed hundreds of workers to fix the sanctuary, including the construction of a border immigration checkpoint and a bridge, as well as the expansion of the site's land.
The inauguration takes place a few days before the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak on November 12, which is marked with celebrations of millions of Sikhs worldwide.
In this photograph taken on November 6, workers clean the floor at the Baba Guru Nanak Dev Shrine in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, before opening in Kartarpur. – AFPIn this photograph taken on November 6, workers shine a floor in the Baba Guru Nanak Dev Shrine in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, before opening in Kartarpur. – AFPSikh pilgrims prepare food for devotees at a shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore, on November 7. – AFP
The inauguration takes place a few days before the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak on November 12, which is marked with celebrations of millions of Sikhs worldwide.
"For more than 70 years, pilgrims have not had the opportunity to cross, to come, and that is just … it's just … it will be a really emotional moment," said Karan Deep Singh, a pilgrim. From Malaysia.
Sikh pilgrims prepare bread for devotees at a shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore, on November 7. – AFPSikh pilgrims visit the shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore, on November 7. – AFPSikh pilgrims have lunch at a shrine in Nankana Sahib, about 75 km west of Lahore, on November 7. – AFPIn this image taken on November 6, Sikh pilgrims take selfies in front of the Baba Guru Nanak Dev Shrine in the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib before its opening, in Kartarpur. – AFP
