On Sunday, the bells will ring, but in the absence of the faithful, at the Cathedral Church of St John, the oldest in the provincial capital. Joseph John, the priest in charge at the Cathedral Church of St John. Similarly, Peshawar’s Hindu community decided to stay away from the temples during the pandemic. Like the Hindu community, the Sikhs in the province, too, were forced to shelve plans to celebrate Vaisakhi, a shared ritual between the two religious groups. For the Sikh community, Vaisakhi celebrations begin with a visit to the gurdwara, followed by parades through the streets, singing, dancing, and chanting hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Source: The Express Tribune April 12, 2020 07:18 UTC