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KARTARPUR: As part of the 485th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Pakistan has unveiled a life-size statue of Bhai Mardana, a close Muslim companion of Guru Nanak, at the historic Gurudwara Sri Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
The statue symbolizes centuries of Sikh-Muslim friendship and highlights the enduring bond between the two communities.
The unveiling ceremony was led by Chairman of the Mutukah Waqf Property Board Syed Attaur Rehman and Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Pradhan Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora. The statue has been installed in the “Bhai Ajitaji Bazar” within the Gurudwara, a space dedicated to Sikh-Muslim unity.
“By installing the statue of Bhai Mardana, Pakistan has set a fine example of interfaith harmony,” Dr. Atta-ul-Rehman said, praising the gesture as a powerful symbol of religious coexistence.
The unveiling coincided with the conclusion of the three-day Joti Jot celebrations, culminating in the Bhog Akhand Path, attended by a large number of Pakistani and Indian Sikh pilgrims.
The event also saw the launch of a new agricultural initiative aimed at supporting the Gurudwara’s langar (community kitchen). Syed Attaur Rehman inaugurated the cultivation of vegetables using seniorgenic method on three acres of land in Babaji’s farm. Harvested produce will be used in the anchorage, ensuring fresh and sustainable food for visitors to the site.
Indian pilgrims traveling through the Kartarpur Corridor – a visa-free route that allows Sikhs from India to visit the holy site – are offered prasad, including fruits grown in “Babaji’s garden” in honor of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Also given.
Addressing the event, the ETPB Chairman hailed the Kartarpur Corridor as “the best gift to the Sikh nation worldwide” and emphasized its role in promoting cross-border religious harmony.
Among the important officials present on the occasion were Board Secretary Farid Iqbal, Parliamentary Secretary Sonia Asher, and Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar besides members of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).
The celebrations culminated in a spirit of unity and respect, further cementing the Kartarpur Corridor’s place as a global symbol of peace and interfaith harmony.
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