Chandigarh, November 8: The Punjab Government on Friday declared a holiday in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala and Amritsar districts on November 9, in connection with the celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The 550th birth anniversary of the Sikh Guru will be commemorated at the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, his birthplace, on November 12. Born in 1469 in Sri Nankana Sahib in present day Pakistan, Guru Nanak Dev undertook spiritual journeys across India, South Asia, Tibet and Arabia, to promote equality.

The Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province is decked up with lights to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2018 had passed a resolution to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019 throughout the country and across the globe together. Guru Nanak Dev 550th Birth Anniversary Celebrations: Nankana Sahib Gurudwara Illuminated Ahead of Gurpurab (Watch Video).

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India have been visiting various sacred shrines in Pakistan's Hassanabdal city as part of the 'Nagar Kirtan', a religious procession, held to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. During their stay, they will also visit other Gurdwaras in the Punjab province and attend the opening ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9. Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019: 10 Facts To Know About First Sikh Guru on His 550th Birth Anniversary.

On October 24, India and Pakistan had signed an agreement for operationalising Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. The Corridor connects Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur (in Pakistan) with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab (In India). The 3-km corridor will allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak Dev passed away in 1539.

The foundation stone for the Kartarpur Corridor was laid down on the Indian side on November 26, 2018. Two days later the foundation stone was laid on the Pakistani side. The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2019 01:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).