india

Updated: Oct 23, 2019 06:37 IST

Nearly 84 heads of foreign missions from New Delhi, led by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, visited the Golden Temple on Tuesday to take part in celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder, Guru Nanak Dev.

The countries whose heads of foreign missions visited the shrine included Afghanistan, Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, USA and Nepal.

The visit was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Puri and ICCR President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe accompanied the heads of missions.

Envoys of some of the countries, including Pakistan, China and the United Kingdom (UK), skipped the visit. Puri said, “Envoys of all the countries were invited for the visit. Busy schedule may be reason behind their absence”.

The envoys were accorded a welcome at the airport by Punjab minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, deputy commissioner Shivdular Singh Dhillon and commissioner of police Sukhchain Singh Gill.

In a brief address, Puri said, “Motive of the bringing the envoys to the shrine was to disseminate Guru’s message of brotherhood and world peace in the world.”

Following the Union Cabinet’s decision to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev across the globe, the ICCR had invited the envoys in New Delhi to visit the Golden Temple.

(With PTI inputs)