TAXILA: Children were seen running around barefoot in the heavily-decorated compound of Gurdwara Punja Sahib Hassanabdal on Friday morning, while the elders of the Sikh community were listening to the lyrical recitation from the Guru Granth Sahib.

The occasion was Besakhi festival which commenced here on Friday.

Over 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India and over 4,000 pilgrims from all over the country especially Fata and rural Sindh have gathered at Hassanabdal to celebrate the festival.

Pilgrims performed their religious rituals amid slogans of Wahe guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe guru Ji Ki Fateh and Jo bolay So Neha L These slogans were heard from dawn to dusk as the Sikh yatrees poured in Gurdwara to offer their religious rituals.

Hundreds of the devotees, men and women were seen reciting from the verses of the Guru Granth, the holy book of the Sikh religion.

The festival of Besakhi is celebrated throughout the world, but in Pakistan its celebration bears special significance as its city Nankana Sahib was the birthplace of founder of the Sikh religion, Baba Guru Nanak and their last Guru Govind Singh Maharaj had made Hassanabdal his abode to preach Sikhism.

The festival would be concluded on April 13 and the Yatrees would start leaving their holy place the same evening through special cara-vans.

Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board have made special arrangements for the boarding and lodging of the Yatrees.Sikh Yatrees, visiting from India and other countries at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, expressed satisfaction over the security measures, accommodation and other arrangements by the departments concerned.