Roorkee: The Uttarakhand Waqf Board has gifted copies of the Bhagvad Gita, Gangajal and Rudraksh to 107 pilgrims who reached Roorkee from Pakistan to attend the 755th annual programme or Urs of Piran Kaliyar in the state. Along with this, saffron shawls were draped over them as a mark of respect.
The dargah of Hazrat Makhadoom Alauddin Ali Ahmed in Roorkee is known as Sarkar Sabir Pak and is revered by both the Hindus and Muslims. Devotees from India and abroad throng the dargah particularly during the Urs that is celebrated annually here.
The dargah is located seven kilometers from Roorkee and the entire area has been brought under a tight security. The Pakistani pilgrims reached Piran Kaliyar by Lahore Express on September 26. On Saturday evening, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams honoured them by gifting them copies of the Gita, holy water of River Ganga and Rudraksh rosary.
Shams said that our country believes in 'Atithi Devo Bhava' which means that the guest is equivalent to the God. So, these Pakistani pilgrims were given a warm welcome here and we want to send a message that they too should respect the Hindus in Pakistan. They should keep the Gita, Gangajal and Rudraksh rosary at the temples in Pakistan, he said.
"The Pakistani pilgrims have promised that after returning to their country they would do the needful. They have said that they will make a video of it and send it to us," Shams said.
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He said that the Pakistani pilgrims were honoured on behalf of the 150 crore Sanatani Hindus of the country, the prime minister and the chief minister of Uttarakhand. "We expect that they will show the same respect to the Hindus living in Pakistan as that shown to them by us," he added.
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