Thousands of Sikh pilgrims celebrated the harvest festival of Baisakhi, which marks the start of the Sikh New Year, at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on Monday.

This year, the Pakistani authorities granted more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikhs, a higher number than previous years. Visas to travel between the two countries are normally difficult to obtain, but the governments have a special arrangement that allows pilgrims to visit shrines and places of worship.

The main Baisakhi ceremony was held at Nankana Sahib. Gurdwara Janam Asthan is one of nine Sikh places of worship at Nankana Sahib, located 75km west of Lahore.

Rinko Kaur, who travelled from Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said she was initially hesitant about visiting Pakistan. “My family warned me about going and said I should be with a group to be safe,” she said.

“But people have been welcoming here. I saw people coming out of their houses, waving at us as a welcome gesture. We feel as if we are celebrities,” said Rinko, who plans to visit other Sikh holy sites in Pakistan in the coming days.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Baisakhi was a time of “great joy for farmers”. The festival also encourages a spirit of hope, unity and renewal that inspires and unites communities, he added.