Guru Nanak Birthday 2026 in Pakistan: 557th Gurpurab at Nankana Sahib on 24 November, Full Schedule
Guru Nanak's 557th birth anniversary is on 24 November 2026 at Nankana Sahib, with Indian pilgrims arriving at Wagah on 22 November. See the ETPB plan.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 557th birth anniversary will be marked in Pakistan on Tuesday 24 November 2026, with the main ceremony at Nankana Sahib. Sikh pilgrims from India are due to enter through the Wagah border on Sunday 22 November, according to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). The day is also an optional holiday for Sikh employees. Below are the dates, the arrangements announced so far, what last year looked like, and what is still not confirmed.
Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born at the place now called Nankana Sahib, west of Lahore. His birthday, often called Gurpurab, is the biggest date in the Sikh calendar. We read the ETPB's notice of its coordination meeting, dated 24 October 2026, on 1 November.
The key dates for Guru Nanak's birthday in 2026
Pilgrims from India arrive at Wagah on Sunday 22 November 2026. The central ceremony for the 557th birth anniversary is at Nankana Sahib on Tuesday 24 November. The ETPB has not yet published the departure date.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 22 November 2026 | Sikh pilgrims from India enter Pakistan at Wagah | ETPB notice, 24 October |
| Tuesday 24 November 2026 | Main ceremony at Nankana Sahib, 557th birth anniversary | ETPB notice, 24 October |
| Tuesday 24 November 2026 | Optional holiday for Sikh government employees | Federal holiday list |
| Not announced | Departure of pilgrims back to India | No date published yet |
The ETPB has promised buses, medical staff and money exchange
At its 24 October meeting the ETPB said pilgrims would get air-conditioned buses, medical staff at every place they stay, bottled water, and State Bank approved money exchange counters. A Rescue 1122 ambulance will travel with every convoy of 20 buses.
The meeting was chaired by the ETPB secretary. Officers from the Rangers, Customs, the Federal Investigation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the gas company, district police and deputy commissioners attended. That list tells you how many agencies have to line up for one pilgrimage.
- Transport: air-conditioned buses for the pilgrims.
- Health: medical staff and facilities at all residential locations.
- Water: mineral water supplied specially for the pilgrims.
- Money: currency exchange counters approved by the State Bank of Pakistan, set up at fixed places and monitored.
- Power and gas: the departments promised no cuts in electricity or Sui gas during the stay.
- Emergency: one Rescue 1122 ambulance per 20-bus convoy, with police, Rangers and Rescue 1122 on duty.
Accommodation and langar, the free community kitchen at every gurdwara, will be arranged by the ETPB, the notice says. It gives no number for how many visas Pakistan will issue this year.
Last year about 2,100 pilgrims came from India
For the 556th anniversary in 2025, about 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived at Wagah, according to the ETPB. The central ceremony was held at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, and pilgrims also visited Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.
That figure is the best guide to the size of this year's visit, but it is not a promise. Numbers depend on visas issued by Pakistan's High Commission and on India letting its citizens travel. Each visitor needs a Pakistan religious visa for Sikh pilgrims.
Tuesday 24 November is an optional holiday, not a public holiday
Guru Nanak's birthday is on the federal list of optional holidays, so Sikh government employees can apply for the day off. For everyone else, Tuesday 24 November 2026 is a normal working day, and banks and schools stay open.
An optional holiday works differently from a gazetted one. You need prior permission from the head of your office, and a non-Muslim government servant can take up to three optional holidays in 2026 under the federal circular. Diwali on Monday 9 November is the other optional holiday this month, and it falls on Iqbal Day, one of the public holidays in November 2026.
Kartarpur is part of the same story
Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur, in Narowal district, and died there on 22 September 1539, the ETPB's Kartarpur page says. So the two places that bookend his life, Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur, are both in Pakistani Punjab.
The shrine at Kartarpur holds both a grave and a samadhi, because Hindus and Muslims disagreed over his last rites and each community performed them in its own way.
Many pilgrim groups visit Kartarpur, Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal and Dera Sahib in Lahore during their stay. The ETPB notice of 24 October does not list this year's route, so we do not give one. Our honest view: wait for the ETPB's arrival notice before planning any visit around the pilgrims.
How to follow the events from Pakistan
The ETPB publishes its notices in the news section of its own website, so watch it from about 20 November. Residents of Nankana Sahib should expect police, Rangers and Rescue 1122 on duty around the gurdwaras from 22 November.
- Check the news section of the ETPB website from about 20 November for the arrival notice.
- If you are a Sikh government employee, apply for the optional holiday before 24 November.
- If you live near Gurdwara Janam Asthan, plan travel around 22 to 24 November and follow district police notices.
- For questions, the ETPB's Nankana zonal office at Gurdwara Janam Asthan is on 056-9201081.
Common questions
When is Guru Nanak's birthday in 2026?
The 557th birth anniversary is marked on Tuesday 24 November 2026, with the main ceremony at Nankana Sahib, the ETPB says.
When do Sikh pilgrims from India arrive?
They are due to arrive through the Wagah border on Sunday 22 November 2026.
Is 24 November a public holiday in Pakistan?
No. It is an optional holiday for Sikh employees. Offices, banks and schools stay open for everyone else.
How many pilgrims came last year?
About 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India came for the 556th anniversary in 2025, according to the ETPB.
Where was Guru Nanak born?
At Nankana Sahib in Punjab, where Gurdwara Janam Asthan now stands. The central ceremony is held there.
Who arranges the pilgrimage in Pakistan?
The Evacuee Trust Property Board, under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, with police, Rangers and district administrations.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 1 November 2026. The dates and arrangements come from the ETPB notice of its coordination meeting, dated 24 October 2026, and the 2025 figure from its news section, both read on the ETPB website on 1 November 2026. The Kartarpur history is from the ETPB's Kartarpur Corridor page. The optional holiday status comes from the federal list we read for our holiday pages. We could not confirm the number of visas, the departure date or this year's route.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
