Special trains to Patna Sahib flagged off from Punjab, Haryana

A special train on Friday was flagged off from Amritsar by Punjab's Tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to take devotees for the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna Sahib.

"1,470 devotees have left for Sri Patna Sahib. Forty-two officials from different departments of the state government have also gone with the devotees in order to ensure that theyface no difficulty," said Sidhu.

Punjab government is bearing the devotees' expenses forthe journey, he said. The Haryana government has arranged two special trainsfrom Ambala and Sirsa to Sri Patna Sahib to make the journeyeasier for the pilgrims.

BJP MLA Bakhshish Singh Virk today flagged off one of the two trains from Ambala Cantt. railway station that is carrying more than 1,500 devotees from across Haryana.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday visited the holy Takht Sri Patna Sahib Gurdwara in Patna to pay his respects to Guru Gobind Singh. The chief minister went directly from the airport to Gurdwara Sahib in Patna.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum, the chief minister was given a 'siropa', 'kirpan', and a shawl. The chief minister said he was impressed with the arrangements made by the Bihar government to commemorate the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

The concluding ceremony of the 350th 'Prakashotsav' of the Guru is being held from from December 22 to December 25 in Sri Patna Sahib.