A group of 541 Sikh pilgrims has received visas to travel to Pakistan for commemorative events marking the martyrdom anniversary of Shri Guru Arjan Dev, officials with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said.

The pilgrims will depart on June 10 from the SGPC headquarters in Amritsar and travel to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border crossing to visit Sikh holy sites and participate in religious ceremonies scheduled for June 18.

Gurinder Singh Mathrewal, secretary of the SGPC’s Dharam Prachar Committee, said the organization had submitted 561 passport applications to the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Of those, 541 applicants were granted visas, while 20 were denied.

The pilgrimage is being organized in connection with the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, whose martyrdom  is commemorated annually  around the world.

According to SGPC officials, the delegation will visit several Sikh shrines in Pakistan before attending the main observance ceremonies. The group is expected to return to India on June 19 after completing the pilgrimage.