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Journalism of Courage
Spirited cries of “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” rang out Sunday as thousands of devotees poured into Sri Anandpur Sahib, accompanying nagar kirtans arriving from four directions to commemorate the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Routes from Srinagar, Faridkot, Talwandi Sabo and Gurdaspur resonated with devotional singing as the sangat marched in unity toward Sri Anandpur Sahib. Showering rose petals in welcome, Punjab Cabinet ministers Harjot Singh Bains, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, and MP Malwinder Singh Kang walked barefoot before the processions, paying homage with humility.
Masses of devotees lined the pathways, bowing in reverence as the nagar kirtans entered the sacred city. A striking display of gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art, added splendour to the occasion, embodying the community’s heroic and spiritual legacy.
Srinagar route: The nagar kirtan began on November 19 from Gurdwara Chhevi Patshahi, Srinagar, and reached Sri Anandpur Sahib late on November 22. It passed through Jammu, Pathankot, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Mahilpur and Garhshankar. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had participated in the launch.
Majha–Doaba Route (Gurdaspur): The nagar kirtan on this route started on November 20 from Gurdwara Sri Sangat Sar Pathwala, Gurdaspur, and passed through Batala, Baba Bakala Sahib, Sri Amritsar Sahib, Tarn Taran, Goindwal Sahib, Kapurthala, Kartarpur, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Banga, Nawanshahr and Balachaur.
Malwa Route 1 (Faridkot): The nagar kirtan began on November 20 from Qila Mubarak, Faridkot, and passed through Ferozepur, Moga, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Khanna, Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib, Morinda, Chamkaur Sahib and Rupnagar.
Malwa Route 2 (Talwandi Sabo): The nagar kirtan on this route started on November 20 from Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, and passed through Bathinda, Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Rajpura, Banur, SAS Nagar, Kurali and Rupnagar.
On Sunday, CM Mann and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal commenced akhand path at Gurdwara Baba Budha Dal Chouni to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur. They sought blessings from Sri Guru Granth Sahib for the smooth conduct of state-organised commemorative events and highlighted the guru’s teachings of peace, universal brotherhood, secularism, and humanism.
Emphasising Guru Tegh Bahadur’s unparalleled sacrifice for religious freedom and human values, they urged people to uphold his ideals and serve society selflessly. Both leaders appealed to citizens to participate in the state’s main events at Sri Anandpur Sahib from November 23–25.
A sophisticated security grid has been deployed in Sri Anandpur Sahib to ensure safety during the three-day commemorations, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rupnagar Gulneet Singh Khurana. He said a state-of-the-art command centre has been established to serve as the nerve centre of all security operations.
“This integrated control room receives live feeds from 300 AI-enabled facial recognition CCTV cameras, 10 PTZ cameras, 25 ANPR cameras, and seven drone teams, giving us total surveillance over the city,” the SSP said.
To ensure hyper-local monitoring and rapid response, the city has been carved into 25 micro-security sectors, each equipped with a sub-control room, help desk, and sector police unit feeding real-time data to the main command centre.
Traffic and crowd movement are being actively monitored with real-time digital mapping created by IIT-Ropar, enabling authorities to relay live parking availability and diversions to ease congestion. Continuous shuttle bus services are operating between parking zones, venues, and tent cities to facilitate the massive influx of pilgrims.
A large police contingent has been stationed throughout the city, with senior officials supervising round the clock. “Our personnel have been instructed to serve with humility and reverence, respecting the spiritual significance of this historic occasion,” SSP Khurana said.
