Pakistan issues visas to India's Hindu pilgrims to visit Shadani Darbar

Shadani Darbar, an three hundred years old temple located in Pakistan's Sindh, is a sacred place for Hindu devotees from across the globe.

File picture (representational purpose)

New Delhi: On Wednesday (December 1), Pakistan announced that it issued 136 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for visits to the religious sites in their country. "Today, Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued 136 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for visit to their religious sites in Pakistan," Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi tweeted.

The Pakistan high commission said the group of Indian pilgrims is visiting Pakistan to participate in the 313th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi, Sindh from December 4-15. The issuance of pilgrimage visas to Hindu and Sikh pilgrims is in line with the Government of Pakistan`s efforts for facilitating visits to religious shrines, the high commission said.

Today, Pakistan High Commission in Delhi issued 136 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims. They're visiting Pak to participate in 313th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib,at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi,Sindh from 4-15 Dec: Pak High Commission India

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2021

Shadani Darbar, an three hundred years old temple, is a sacred place for Hindu devotees from across the globe. The Shadani Darbar was founded in 1786 by Sant Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708.

Earlier, ahead of Gurpurab on November 19, India had announced the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. The Corridor, which provides rare visa-free travel from India to Pakistan and vice versa, for pilgrims to pray at Holy Gurudwara Darbar Sahib was closed since March last year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to participate in religious festivals and events every year. In 2020, a group of Indian pilgrims visited Pakistan for paying obeisance at the Katas Raj temple in Chakwal city.

(With Agency inputs)