Pakistani Hindus undertake spiritual journey in Haridwar, immerse ancestors' ashes in Ganga

Haridwar: A contingent of 223 Hindu devotees from Pakistan's Sindh province undertook a spiritual pilgrimage to India. Upon reaching Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, they conducted a reverent ritual, submerging the ashes of their forefathers in the holy River Ganga, adhering to ancient customs.

These pilgrims had cherished the ashes of their departed family members for an extended period. By immersing the ashes of their ancestors in the sacred waters of the River Ganga on Sunday, they trust that their ancestors will attain salvation, as per Hindu scriptures which state that immersion of ashes in the Ganga will lead to liberation of ancestors soul.

Enabled by special visas issued by the Indian authorities, these Pakistani pilgrims initially toured various sacred locations throughout India.

Their spiritual journey reached its pinnacle with a visit to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, an occasion they deemed exceptionally propitious. Today, they accomplished their obligation by submerging their ancestors' ashes in the sanctified waters of Har Ki Pauri.

One of the Pakistani pilgrims shared, "Our journey spans 25 days. We arrived in Haridwar yesterday, carrying the ashes of my father."

Articulating their challenges in journeying from Pakistan to India, the pilgrims appealed to the Indian government to simplify the visa procedure. They stressed the significance of obtaining visas punctually to facilitate their pilgrimage.

(With inputs from ANI)