A group of 68 Hindu pilgrims from Pakistan’s Sindh province arrived in Prayagraj to take part in the ongoing Mahakumbh. The pilgrims, who traveled on special visas, bathed in the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers and immersed the ashes of their ancestors in the sacred waters, seeking peace for their souls.
Mahant Ramnath, who accompanied the group, shared that they had previously visited Haridwar to perform rituals for nearly 480 of their ancestors’ ashes before traveling to Prayagraj for the Kumbh. After bathing in the Sangam, the pilgrims offered prayers for the peace of their ancestors’ souls.
According to the information department, all the pilgrims took a holy dip in the Sangam on Thursday, praying for the peace of their ancestors’ spirits. Earlier in the day, during a visit to the Sri Guru Karshni camp in Sector Nine, one of the pilgrims, Gobind Ram Makhija from Sindh, expressed his long-held desire to attend the Mahakumbh, having heard about it in the past few months. “We couldn’t stop ourselves from coming,” Makhija said.
The pilgrims hailed from six districts in Sindh: Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Kashmore, and Jatabal. Among them, around 50 people were visiting the Mahakumbh for the first time. Makhija described the experience as overwhelming and deeply fulfilling, adding that they felt immense pride in being born into the Sanatan Dharma.
One of the young pilgrims, Surabhi, a class 11 student from Ghotki, expressed her excitement about visiting India for the first time and participating in the Kumbh. She said, “It is a great opportunity for us to experience and understand our religion on a deeper level.”
Priyanka, another first-time visitor from Sindh, shared that witnessing her culture in India was a divine experience. “I feel blessed to be here,” she said. “Despite living among Muslims in Sindh, there is no significant discrimination against Hindus, as the media often portrays.”
Niranjan Chawla, a pilgrim from Sukkur, also commented on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India, stating that there was no significant movement in Sindh for Pakistani Hindus to seek Indian citizenship. However, he mentioned that certain areas, like Rajasthan, posed challenges for Hindus.
Chawla also requested the Indian government simplify the visa process, which currently takes up to six months for approval. He expressed gratitude for the easy visa approval for their group and said, “We are thankful to the Indian government for facilitating our travel.”
After their visit to Prayagraj, the group plans to travel to Raipur and then head to Haridwar, where some members will immerse the ashes of their ancestors. They also plan to visit the Akhada saints and explore the vast Kumbh Mela.