Dera Baba Nanak: A sea of humanity was witnessed on Sunday here at this border town of Punjab from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day earlier had opened the Kartarpur Corridor.
Modi had also flagged off the first lot of pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
With the Dera Baba Nanak Utsav event here to mark the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev entering its penultimate day, the festivities have picked up the pace.
These witnessed an added attractive feature in the form of a ‘Cavalcade of Universal Oneness’ that travelled from Dera Baba Nanak to the international border with Pakistan from where the Kartarpur Corridor has been constructed connecting this historic town with Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district.
An official spokesperson told IANS that the cavalcade presented a picture of communal harmony and the participating children of various schools seemed to have been imbued with the spirit of unity in diversity.
Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa welcomed the cavalcade on its way back and interacted with students dressed in colourful costumes. He called them the cultural ambassadors of Punjab.
The highlight of the cavalcade was the ‘Malwai Giddha’ dance performance which added to the colourful atmosphere.
The Minister on the occasion expressed confidence that the corridor would spell economic boom for the region and would be instrumental in generating job avenues for the youth.
He also reiterated the need to create more infrastructure in the region as it would be necessary to tap the potential of the area.
Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary falls on November 12.
To accommodate the rush of pilgrims, many from distant places and even abroad, 30 acres have land been transformed into a well-equipped tented city at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. (IANS)
