Thousands of Indian Sikhs visit the shrine of the founder of their religion to mark his birthday

KARTARPUR, Pakistan (AP) — Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India and around the world are thronging a shrine to the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, in Pakistan to commemorate his birth. Many Sikh holy sites are in Pakistan after the British partitioned the subcontinent in 1947 following two centuries of colonial rule. Officials say around 10,000 Sikhs are visiting Pakistan for the weeklong celebration marking 555 years since Guru Nanak’s birth. His shrine, the second-holiest place in the Sikh faith, is just 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from the border with India. Visas to travel between India and Pakistan are normally difficult to obtain, but the two countries have a special arrangement that allows pilgrims to visit the shrine.