Scene of Sangat at Pak-Indo Border
Dera Baba Nanak (KP) – Recent developments close to the Indo-Pak border might now allow Sikhs to have darshan of Kartarpur Sahib properly. Kartarpur Sahib, now in Pakistan, has always been an attraction for the Sikh Sangat in Eastern Punjab and, due to many reasons, the Sikh Sangat has not been able to gain full access to this Gurdwara Sahib.
Previously, sangat was only able to look over the Gurdwara Sahib complex from Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak, which is located at a distance, but a newly built "shrine" in memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji provides a better view of the Gurdwara Sahib complex as it is situated very close to the border towards the east. This Gurdwara Sahib has been established with the efforts of Baba Sukhjeet Singh Bedi for the sole purpose of better facilitating darshan of Kartarpur Sahib.
The simple but attractive complex of the new Gurdwara Sahib was built at the expense of over Rs. 2,000,000. While during the opening ceremony of the Gurdwara Sahib, Sikh Sangat from East Punjab was present in large numbers, Sikh Sangat from Pakistan also gathered in large numbers at the border along with Pakistan Border Security Forces to take part in the celebrations.
After bhog of Akhand Path Sahib at the newly built Gurdwara Sahib, kirtan and ardas was performed at Kartarpur Sahib and degh was distributed by Head Granthi Bhai Gobind Singh Ji across the border to the Sikh Sangat and the Border Security Force (BSF). Bhai Gobind Singh Ji from Kartarpur Sahib also spoke to the press across the border and expressed immense happiness at having darshan of Sikh Sangat from Eastern Punjab.
Although Kartarpur Sahib is located only two miles from the Indo-Pak Border, most of the Sikh Sangat has been barred from making obeisance at the holy shrine ever since the partition. Before 1965, a bridge between the two countries joined Gurdwara Dehra Baba Nanak with Kartarpur Sahib, but this bridge was destroyed during the 1965 war.
