LARKANA — Amid a festive atmosphere, a special train carrying hundreds of devotees departed from Larkana on Saturday for Nankana Sahib to participate in the 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak.
Men, women, and children from Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts gathered at the railway station to board the train. Hindu Panchayat Chairman Harish Lal, along with other community leaders, bid farewell to the pilgrims before their journey to Rohri, where the train’s bogies will be attached to another service bound for Nankana Sahib.
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According to Station Master Ayaz Abbasi, the special train carrying 234 devotees left under tight security, assisted by local and railway police. The pilgrims are expected to return on November 7 after attending the birthday rituals.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has completed arrangements for the celebrations scheduled from November 3 to 6. Provincial ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora visited Nankana Sahib to review security and hospitality preparations. Around 30,000 pilgrims, including 2,100 from India, are expected to attend the festivities, which will begin with the Akhand Paath and culminate with the Nagar Kirtan at Gurdwara Janam Asthan.
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In light of the celebrations, all schools and colleges in Nankana City will remain closed from November 4 to 6, while Baba Guru Nanak University will observe holidays from November 3 to 6. Special medical wards have also been set up in Lahore and Faisalabad to assist visiting pilgrims.