Kartarpur Corridor To Be Completed By 31 October, Likely To Be Inaugurated On 8 November

The work on the much-anticipated Kartarpur Corridor for Indian pilgrims to visit the revered Sikh shrine across the border in Pakistan is expected to be completed by the end of this month and online registration for the pilgrimage will begin from Sunday (20 October).

Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) Chairman Govind Mohan confirmed the completion of work to IANS from ground zero of the construction site at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

Construction of the 4.2 km-long corridor will be completed by 31 October, a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, he said.

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province, located 4.5 km from the border near Dera Baba Nanak, is highly revered among Sikhs as it was the place where Guru Nanak spent 18 years of his life and is his final resting place.

Mohan said that pilgrims can apply online from 20 October for visiting the historic gurdwara through a website that was launched recently.

"We are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Pakistan before 20 October. From 20 October, pilgrims can register at online portal," said Mohan, who is also an Additional Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs.

A passport is a must for devotees from India visiting Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara to pay obeisance, he added.

To a query, the officer clarified that visa will not be required but the visitors need to get themselves registered online at least a month ahead of their visit.

The corridor is expected to be inaugurated on 8 November and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is to lead an all-party delegation across the border to Kartarpur Sahib on the opening day of the Kartarpur Corridor on 9 November.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)