LAHORE, Dec 19: As many as 55 Hindu pilgrims arrived in Lahore on Tuesday from India via Wagah Border to visit the Shree Katas Raj temples, located in Chakwal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province, an official here said.
Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol.
“A group of 55 Hindu pilgrims led by Vijay Kumar Sharma arrived in Lahore via Wagah Border on Tuesday to take part in their religious festivities at the Katas Raj Temples,” Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told PTI.
The ETPB is a statutory board that manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs who had migrated to India following the partition.
Additional Secretary shrines Rana Saleem greeted and garlanded them at Wagah where Sharma and others expressed their happiness to get a chance to visit their holy places in Pakistan.
Hashmi said the Hindu pilgrims would also visit other temples in Lahore during their seven-day stay.
He said the Hindu pilgrims would stay at Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore before leaving for the Katas Raj Temples on Wednesday morning to take part in the festivities.
“The main two-day event will kick off on Dec 21 in 17 temples of Katas Raj,” Hashmi said, adding that local Hindus will also join them in the ‘Deep Mala’ festivities.
On Saturday, the pilgrims will return to Lahore where they will visit Krishna Temple and on Monday they will leave for their home.
The Katas Raj Temples, also known as Qila Katas, hold significant religious importance for the Hindu community.
Earlier this month, the Pakistan High Commission had issued visas to 104 Hindu pilgrims for participation in the 315th birth anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib at Shadani Darbar, another revered Hindu spiritual site in Sindh.
Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.
According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents. They often complain of harassment by the extremists. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
