Guru Gobind anniversary in Patna: Special train, buses for Punjab devotees

Special trains, buses will be deployed to ferry Punjab devotees 350th birth anniversary celebrations of 10th Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh in January next year.

Chandigarh, Dec 23: At least 10 special trains and 300 buses will ferry, free of cost, over 25,000 devotees from Punjab to Bihar's Patna to participate in the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of 10th Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, early next month, a minister said here on Friday.

Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said that the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Ji would be celebrated on a large scale on January 5 in Patna, the birthplace of the Sikh guru.

He said that 10 special trains would take 10,000 devotees and 300 buses would ferry 15,000 devotees in the first week of January to Patna Sahib.

"The Punjab government has made arrangements for free travel and free meals besides coordinating with the Bihar government for free stay of the devotees," Cheema added.

He said that residents from each of the 117 assembly constituencies would be taken in 10 special trains and 300 buses.

"One coach in each train would be reserved for women and the three trains departing from the places of three Takhts (religious seats) - Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib and Damdama Sahib, would have one coach each reserved for 'Nihang Sikhs' (religious martial sect of Sikhs).

Assembly elections in Punjab are to be held early next year.

IANS