Kartarpur Sahib Corridor reopens today for ‘Holy Darshan’, check COVID-19 protocols here

Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is reopening from today for ‘Holy Darshan’ after a gap of over a year and a half just ahead of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan is the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. Kartarpur is located on the west bank of river Ravi where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last 18 years of his life. The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was inaugurated on November 9, 2019, but was temporarily closed on March 16, 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday said it has decided to resume operations on the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from November 17. Around 100-200 pilgrims from India are expected to travel across the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on any given day.

COVID-19 rules for pilgrims
Both India and Pakistan governments have agreed to allow only fully vaccinated individuals to undertake the pilgrimage.

All pilgrims will have to carry a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours prior to arrival and COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Pilgrims will have to undergo regular temperature checks and sanitisation while wearing face masks and observing social distancing.

Reports suggest that pilgrims will also have to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) upon their arrival in Pakistan.

The pilgrims will not be required to undertake any more tests throughout the duration of the pilgrimage.

They will have to undergo temperature checks and anyone with COVID-19 symptoms will be moved to isolation.

The pilgrims will have to abide by the COVID-19 protocols of the Pakistani authorities as Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is on their side.