Two jatthas from Pakistan, led by Baba Pritam Singh and Baba Bishan Singh, reached Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib on Sunday evening to take part in the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

"The jatthas comprise 50 Sikh pilgrims each. More jatthas from Pakistan are scheduled to arrive for the event but they have encountered visa-related problems because of which they have not arrived here yet. But they will be in Patna soon," said Daljeet Singh, the superintendent of Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib.

He said the jatthas from foreign shores have already started pouring in at Patna, starting with 300 Sikhs led by Birmingham (United Kingdom)-based Bhai Mohinder Singhji of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jattha.

They arrived here on December 28 and since then they have been organising langars (community meals) at Kangan Ghat.

Another jattha of 10,000 pilgrims arrived at Patna Sahib junction on December 31 around 11pm by Akal Takht Express to participate in the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

The jattha, comprising Sikh devotees from Punjab, Haryana, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, were given a warm welcome by the temple management committee members of Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Though the train was around eight hours late, the members of the jattha didn't complain.

"The delay doesn't matter. Even if the train was delayed by 24 hours, we would have been smiling. Hum guru ke dharti par aaye hai, isse bari baat kya hogi (We have come to the Guru's land, what can be bigger than this)?" asked Satpal Singh, one of the pilgrims from Amritsar, who arrived in the train.

Karnal Singh, another pilgrim from Amritsar who arrived in the train, said he felt privileged to get an opportunity to participate in the Prakash Utsav.

Sarjinder Singh, the general secretary of the temple management committee of Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, said the jattha members have been accommodated in Kangan Ghat tent city and the gurdwara building.

He said more pilgrims were scheduled to reach on January 2. Sarjinder said by Sunday, around 2 lakh pilgrims had arrived in Patna for the event.

According to the temple management committee, scores of Non-Resident Indians will join the Prakash Utsav celebrations soon.

The US-based Sikh Dharma 13, is also bringing foreign nationals, who have adopted the Sikh faith, for the celebrations.

Around 50 foreign nationals from US, China, Spain among other countries, who have adopted Sikhism, would arrive here soon.