Pakistan Nankana Sahib: A town of historical Importance now 'in ruins'
Islamabad, August 11: Nankana Sahib town in Pakistan holds the sacred site of the birth of the first Sikh Guru and encompasses numerous historical gurdwaras, each constructed to honour distinct miraculous events from Guru Nanak's life. The town of Nankana Sahib was formerly called Talwandi. It was founded by a wealthy merchant Rai Bhoi. It was later renamed by his grandson, Rai Bular Bhatti, in honour of Guru Nanak.
However, according to Khalsa Vox's report, it remains a sad fact that a place with such spiritual prominence and historical significance is lying in ruins due to persecution and neglect by Pakistan.
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib commemorates the birthplace of first Sikh Guru, born to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. This revered shrine, also recognized as Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is situated in Pakistan's Punjab Province, approximately 75 km away from the city of Lahore.
The gurdwara was built in 1600 EC by Guru Nanak Devji’s grandson, Baba Dharam Chand, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh is said to have repaired it between 1819 – 1820 EC.
Nankana Sahib houses several historic gurdwaras, each built to commemorate a different miraculous occurrence of Guru Nanak’s life. These shrines are surrounded by 18,750 acres of land bestowed upon the Guru Sahib by Rai Bular Bhatti, who was a Muslim headman of Talwandi village.
His descendants have severed Guru Nanak Devji over centuries, Khalsa Vox reported.
Gurdwara Janam Asthan is a vast and imposing complex with manned gates that is located at the end of the main artery that runs through the city and marks the spot where once his house was situated.
Gurdwara Bal Lila Sahib is situated on the eastern side of the city, where Nanakji played as a child. Over the past few years, such smaller gurdwaras, which lay in ruins, have been resurrected telling a tale of the beloved life and times of Guru Nanak Devji’s life, weaving it in the rich tapestry of Sikh heritage.
There is another one in the vicinity called Gurdwara Patti Sahib where Guru Sahib is said to have received his early education. It is a relatively small shrine, surrounded by a courtyard around which several rooms have been constructed to accommodate pilgrims who used to travel to Nankana Sahib in pre-partition times.
However, currently these rooms are being used by Sikh families who moved to the city after fleeing from the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal areas, Khalsa Vox reported.
Giani Pratab resided on these premises and taught Sikh children ‘Adhi Granth’, giving them access to divine Sikh poetry written in Gurmukhi. This, he felt was, essential, because otherwise, Sikh children studying in Pakistani education system would be unaware of their holy scriptures.
Several years later, Mastan Singh, a prominent resident of Nankana Sahib’s Sikh community, established Guru Nanak High School in the vicinity. This was the only school that imparted religious learning in accordance with secular education in the city. After this, the makeshift school at Gurdwara Patti Sahib was shut down.
According to Khalsa Vox, in Punjabi, ‘patti’ refers to a slate on which children learn writing in the early days of education. Guru Nanak Devji mastered Sanskrit and also taught Persian and Arabic as they were the dominant languages of those times. The place where he received this education from Maulana Qutub-ud-din came to be known as Gurdwara Patti Sahib and today this is where, even decades later, young Sikhs learn Gurmukhi.
This was also the place, where Guru Nanak, the poet, was born. He added massively to the Punjabi language, in terms of words, phrases, and symbols, which was at that time not considered very literary. Thus, Guru Nanak Devji not only led the spiritual development of Sikhs, but also played an irrefutable role in its linguistic development.
A couple of km east of Gurdwara Bal Lila lies Gurdwara Kiara Sahib. It is a simple, humble square building with a domed sanctum with a circumambulation verandah around it, built on raised plinths.
There is a legend around this piece of land. It is said that once Guruji took his father’s herd of cattle for grazing and while he was engrossed in meditation, the cattle damaged the crop in a farmer’s field who complained to Rai Bular. However, when the field was inspected, no damage was found. To commemorate this miracle, this field came to be called ‘Kiara (field or plot) Sahib’ and a gurdwara, at the same spot, was raised by Sant Gurmukh Singh Sevavale in the 1930s, as per Khalsa Vox.
Gurdwara Sri Malji Sahib lies about one and a halfkm from Gurdwara Janam Asthan. It is said that in this spot a venomous cobra was seen shading sleeping Guru Nanak Devji against the afternoon sun as the shade of the Mal tree, under which Guruji was sleeping, receded.
The gurdwara here was first built by Diwan Kaura Mall and later renovated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is larger and more imposing than Kiara Sahib, the interiors being decorated with ancient ceramic tiles, about four inches square, each depicting a cobra.
When Guruji was 18 years old, his father sent him to Chuharkhana with some money to do business, instead the former fed hungry villagers with the money and later hid under an old ‘van’ tree which resembled a ‘tambu’ (tent) as he feared Mehta Kalu’s rebuke. Extreme East of the main gurdwara now lies this Gurdwara Tambu Sahib which is a double-storeyed domed structure in the centre of a square hall with architectural embellishments similar to Gurdwara Mal ji Sahib, Khalsa Vox reported.
There are two more shrines, Gurdwara Sri Arjan and Gurdwara Sri Hargobind Sahib, located near Tambu Sahib, but both share a common boundary. These commemorate the visits of the two Gurus to these sites. Only buildings stand here as Guru Granth Sahib’s prakash does not take place here.
The last shrine in the vicinity is Gurdwara Nihang Singhan stands between Tambu Sahib and Hargobind Sahib.
Coming back to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, as one enters the premises, a Palki Sahib made of pure gold (sent from Delhi) can be seen in a glass case. Near the main gate hangs a beautiful painting of Guru Nanak Devji and his closest companions, Bhai Mardana and Bai Bala. A hanging banner explains the 5 articles of faith – Kangha, Kara, Kesh, Kachera, and Kirpan. It consists of the main square, Saroor Sahib (holy pool of water), Sikh Shaheedi, Langar Khana (dining room), and a sprawling sitting area for the devotees. The complex has a residential block of about 500 rooms for pilgrims to stay. Every year Sikhs from all across the globe visit the shrine in November to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Khalsa Vox reported.
The inner premises of the gurdwara have white marbled flooring and the facade is painted in hues of pale yellow. The structure itself is massive and two stories tall with white domes at the top. These domes spring from a floral base and are adorned with inverted lotus symbols.
Nankana Sahib stands tall and proud as a cherished testament to the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Devji, the founder of Sikhism. The journey of Guru Nanak Devji not only shapes the foundations of Sikhism but also fosters interfaith harmony, which reminds us of his timeless message of love, compassion, and humility.
However, it is deeply saddening to acknowledge that in Pakistan, the very land where Guru Nanak Devji preached harmony and peace, the Sikh minority faces persecution and neglect. Many historic gurdwaras, which hold immense spiritual significance for Sikhs worldwide, lie in ruins due to the alleged neglect and lack of maintenance. These gurdwaras should stand as beacons of spiritual enlightenment, but their dilapidated state reflects a disregard for their cultural and religious importance, Khalsa Vox reported.
- ANI
