Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, the SGPC has announced the cancellation of this year’s Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary. The move reflects heightened caution in the wake of deteriorating bilateral relations.
Amid rising tension between India and Pakistan, the supreme Sikh Body SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) has decided to any group of Sikh pilgrims to the neighboring country, Pakistan. This comes ahead of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 29, 2025.
The commemoration is scheduled at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore, which had witnessed diverse participation from across the borders earlier.
The SGPC Secretary S. Partap Singh stated that several pilgrims had already submitted their passports, and the committee was bound to halt the commemoration this year after the Government Of India had issued advisory.
This comes after the horrifying Pahalgam Terror attack that was linked to Pakistan-backed terror groups. The tension developed later with cross-border movements and Pakistani attacks.
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The answer stands – because of the historical sites in connection to the Sikh Empire and Maharaja Ranjit Singh lie in present-day Pakistan, following the 1947 partition of India.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, often called Sher-e-Punjab, ruled over a vast Sikh empire that included much of Punjab, parts of present-day Pakistan, and extended into Afghanistan and Kashmir. His samadhi (final resting place) is located at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore, Pakistan, right next to the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. This spot marks the physical site where his mortal remains were laid to rest after his death in 1839.
Since his samadhi and other key Sikh religious and historical sites- such as Nankana Sahib (birthplace of Guru Nanak) and Panja Sahib – are located in Pakistan, Sikh pilgrims from India and around the world have traditionally traveled to these places for important religious events, including the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
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