Sikh Jatha of 2,840 Devotees departs for Pakistan to Celebrate Baisakhi; 10-day visa granted

April 10, 2026

A Jatha (Batch) of approximately 2,840 Sikh pilgrims from across the country departed for Pakistan today via the Attari-Wagah border to celebrate Baisakhi. In addition to celebrating Vaisakhi, these pilgrims will visit holy Gurdwaras located in Pakistan. They have been granted a 10-day visa.

On this occasion, a contingent of 1,763 pilgrims was dispatched by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The contingent was flagged off amidst chants of “Bole So Nihal… Sat Sri Akal.” This group is being led by SGPC member Surjit Singh Tugalwal.

32 applications rejected 

The SGPC had submitted applications for 1,795 visas; of these, 1,763 visas were issued, while the applications of 32 pilgrims were rejected. This contingent is scheduled to return to India on April 19 after visiting the religious sites. According to officials, the entire pilgrimage will span 10 days.

Pilgrims representing various committees have traveled to visit the Gurdwaras located in Pakistan on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Divas (Vaisakhi). Visas were granted to 409 pilgrims from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, 255 from the Haryana Committee, and 1,763 from the SGPC, bringing the total number of pilgrims traveling to Pakistan to 2,840.

Demand to Open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor

The pilgrims have appealed to the governments to issue visas to a greater number of people and to open the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. They also demanded the abolition of the $20 fee imposed by Pakistan. Disappointment was also evident among those pilgrims who did not receive a visa.

Khalsa Sajna Divas on April 14

SGPC Secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan stated that Khalsa Sajna Divas will be celebrated on April 14, and this contingent has been sent to Pakistan in connection with this observance.