ISLAMABAD: About two hundred Hindu pilgrims from India will reach Pakistan on Wednesday via the Wagah border to attend the festivities of Shivratri.
Maha Shivratri, a Hindu festival, is celebrated in honour of the deity Shiva between February and March every year. This year the festivity will be observed between March 8 (9:27 pm) and March 9 (5:47 pm).
In the celebration, the devotees take a holy bath and perform the puja by lighting a diya with desi ghee in front of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Senior officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and local Hindu leaders will welcome the pilgrims.
The main ceremony of the Maha Shivratri will be arranged by the Evacuee Trust Property Board at the historic Katas Raj temple Chakwal on Saturday to be attended by different political, social and religious leaders.
Evacuee Trust Property Board Secretary Rana Shahid Saleem said that in the light of orders of ETPB Chairman Arshad Farid Khan, all arrangements including accommodation, security, and transportation of pilgrims had been finalized.
Hindu Pilgrims to Return on March 10
The Hindu pilgrims will return to Lahore from Katas Raj, on March 10. They are scheduled to visit Krishna Temple, Shahi Qila (Lahore Fort) and other historical sites in Lahore on March 11 and return to India on March 12 (Monday).
