Recovered from FSRN’s earlier site via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Originally published May 9, 2012.
Each Spring, people of the Sikh faith commemorate the new year with the Baisakhi festival, which dates back to the 17th century. During three days of the festival, Sikhs from all over the world visit the birthplace of the founder of the religion, Guru Nanak and where he stayed in Punjab, Pakistan. The holy site, called Gurdwara Panja Sahib is about 40 miles from Islamabad. Although religious ceremonies are often targeted by extremists, the Pakistani government provided strong protections for the Sikh community and this year's events passed peacefully. Jeannine Etter reads for our reporter Gabe Matthews, who joined the devotees in Panja Sahib in Northern Punjab.
