On 9 November 2019 the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan will open to mark the 550^th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak is the first Guru and founder of Sikhism. It will be inaugurated on the either side by the respective Prime Ministers. It will be a momentous occasion for Sikhs all over the world. The Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan will connect the Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab (India) to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Punjab (Pakistan). The corridor will allow devotes from India to directly visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib without Visa. So far devotees had to take visa and travel through Lahore making it both time consuming and costly affair. The other option was to see the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib from an elevated platform on the Indian side. Border Security Force had put binoculars to facilitate devotees.

The significance of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib for devotees lies in the fact it was built to commemorate the site where Guru Nanak settled and tilled land after his four famous journeys. Guru Nanak lived there for the last 18 years until his death in 1539. It was at this place that Guru Nanak built the first Sikh commune. For Sikhs it is the second holiest city after Janam Asthan. Janam Asthan is the birth place of Guru Nanak located at Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.

To mark the occasion, the governments of both India and Pakistan have announced a series of measures. Pakistan government has issued a commemorative coin and stamp to mark the occasion. Pakistan is also establishing Baba Guru Nanak International University in Nankana Sahib. Similarly, a decision was taken in India to establish Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab Open University.

It has been termed as a corridor of peace. Let’s hope that it actually becomes a corridor of peace and heals wounds and bring people together. Congratulations to Sikh brothers and sisters all over the world on the occasion of 550^th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

References and for more information, please see:

https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/travel-tourism/kartarpur-gurdwara-uncertainty-over-kartarpur-corridor-continues-pakistan-yet-to-approve-indian-list-of-pilgrims/1756586/. Accessed on 7 November 2019.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pakistan-issues-coin-to-mark-guru-nanak-s-550th-birth-anniversary/story-2ydRfb66ej1vS0wBCha9zL.html. Accessed on 7 November 2019.

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/punjab-govt-to-establish-open-university-in-guru-nanak-s-name-1612802-2019-10-25. Accessed on 7 November 2019.

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/pakistan-begins-process-to-set-up-guru-nanak-university-1613621-2019-10-29. Accessed on 7 November 2019.

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/imran-khan-to-open-kartarpur-corridor-to-india-on-november-9-1.67265938. Accessed on 7 November 2019