51 Hindu pilgrims reach Pakistan to attend religious festivities

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—On November 24, around 51 Hindu pilgrims from India reached Pakistan to attend the religious festivities in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Interacting with media at Wagah, the group leader of the visiting Hindus, Yudeshtar Lal, said they have brought a message of peace and love and stressed for enhancing people-to-people contact. He appreciated the Pakistan government’s decision to open some of the centuries old temples in the country.

ETPB’s spokesperson Amir Hashmi further informed that the ETPB officials received these pilgrims and all of them have been sent to Sindh province in special buses guarded by high security so that they could take part in their religious festivities.

“The pilgrims will visit temples in Mirpur Mathelo, Sukker and Ghotki during their 10 days stay in Pakistan,” he informed.  

It is pertinent to note here that the Pakistani government has handed over centuries-old historical Shawala Teja Singh Temple in eastern city of Sialkot to the Pakistan Hindu Council for worship after the completion of its renovation last month.

In July, Pakistan opened the temple in Sialkot, some 100-kms from Lahore, for worship for the first time after the partition on the demand of the local Hindu community. The temple, located in city’s congested Dhaarowal locality, is more than 1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Niaz. Some 2,000 Hindus are residing in this locality.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 7.5 million Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 9 million Hindus are living in the country.

Majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.

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