Chandigarh, Sept 21: Sikh devotees from both sides of the border will gather at the Zero Line to perform a special ardas seeking the early reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor. The joint religious ceremony connects pilgrims from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur with Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj will lead the gathering on the Indian side, having urged the Sikh community from nearby border areas to assemble in large numbers. Meanwhile, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee President and Punjab Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora announced a Nagar Kirtan proceeding from Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib to the Zero Line.
The joint congregation will recite Rehras Sahib, perform Gurbani Kirtan and Aarti, and offer collective prayers at the border. Gurdwara Darbar Sahib marks the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.
The visa-free passage has remained suspended since May 7 of last year following Operation Sindoor. The prolonged closure prompted formal objections from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which passed a resolution during its annual budget session demanding the immediate restoration of pilgrimage access. Originally inaugurated on November 9, 2019, to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the corridor was designed to permit up to 5,000 pilgrims daily.
