The Darbar Sahib Gurdwara The gurdwara known as Kartarpur, or Kartarpur Sahib, is situated in Shakargarh, Narowal District, in the Punjab region of Pakistan. It is situated on the historic site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, resided for eighteen years till his death in 1539, gathering the Sikh community after his missionary trips (udasis to Haridwar, Mecca-Medina, Lanka, Baghdad, Kashmir, and Nepal). Along with the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, it is one of the holiest places in Sikhism.
The gurdwara’s proximity to the Pakistan-India border adds to its significance. From the Indian side of the border, one can see the shrine. Large crowds of Indian Sikhs congregate on bluffs to conduct darshan, or the sacred gazing of the location, from the Indian side of the border. Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, officially inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, 2019, the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and a few days before Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. This momentous occasion formally granted Indian Sikh pilgrims exclusive, visa-free access to the Pakistani side. It is also said to be the world’s biggest gurdwara.
Past Events
In Kartarpur, where he established a community and preached “Kirit Karni” (honest labor), “Wand Chakna” (enjoy sharing), and “Naam Japna” (contemplation upon the word of Guru), Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent his final years.
This was the land that Guru Nanak Dev Ji farmed a lot. All that remained after Guru Nanak Dev Ji reconciled with God was a chadar. It was claimed as belonging to both the Muslims and the Hindus. They divided it ultimately. The Sikhs incinerated it, while the Muslims buried it directly outside the present-day gurdwara. The spot where the Sikhs burnt the Chadar was occasionally flooded by the Ravi River at that time, but Baba Shri Chand Ji, the son of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, saved the ashes and carried them to Dera Baba Nanak on the opposite side of the river.
Whereabouts
The Shakargarh Tehsil of the Narowal District in Punjab, Pakistan, is home to the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. It is one of Pakistan’s most popular tourist destinations. The shrine is five kilometers from the border between Pakistan and India.
Importance
The gurdwara was constructed to honor the location where Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak, settled down to farm after his missionary activity. By the Ravi River, Guru Nanak established the town of Kartarpur in 1504, tilling the land and establishing the Langar, or communal kitchen. There, he established a Sikh commune, and he remained there for eighteen years, passing away on September 22, 1539. The site of Guru Nanak’s alleged death is where the gurdwara is located. As such, it is the second holiest location in the Sikh faith, after Guru Nanak’s birthplace, Nankana Sahib, Pakistan’s Gurdwara Janam Asthan.
Here, Guru Nanak taught the three precepts of Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, and Vand Chako, which translate to mean toil diligently for a living, never forget God, and share your plenty with others. The international brotherhood, peace, and harmony have been the teachings of the guru. Guru Nanak coined the term “Ik Onkar,” which means “there is only one God,” and advocated for equality amongst genders, castes, and faiths.
The few remaining replicas of the genuine Guru Granth Sahib are kept at the shrine, claims art historian Fakr Syed Aijazuddin of Lahore. The words “Every step here reminds us of the Guru’s life” were spoken by a Sikh traveler. On the Indian side of the border, Indian Sikhs congregate in huge groups on the bluffs to receive darshan, or sacred gazing, of the location.
According to popular tradition, following the death of Guru Nanak, there was a disagreement between the local Muslims and Hindus. Hindus, who saw Nanak as their guru, wanted to cremate his remains, while Muslims, who viewed him as their pir, wanted to bury him. However, the story goes that the two communities split the flowers that were transformed from Guru Nanak’s body.
Shrine
The shrine is one of the holiest sites for up to 30 million Sikhs worldwide and is situated in Kartarpur, a tiny village in Punjab next to the River Ravi. The Maharaja of Patiala, Sardar Bhupindar Singh, donated Rs. 1,35,600 towards the construction of the main shrine structure in 1925.
At great expense, the Government of Pakistan refurbished it in 1995 and completed the restoration in 2004. The US-based non-governmental organization “EcoSikh” suggested creating a 100-acre “holy forest” surrounding the site in May 2017.
In November 2018, a new courtyard, museum, library, dorms, and locker rooms were built on 42 acres (17 hectares) of land to further expand the Gurdwara. A 20-foot well that dates back 500 years and is thought to have been constructed during Guru Nanak Dev’s lifetime is composed of tiny red bricks.
Via the Kartarpur Corridor, access
Suggestions for entry without a visa
The Sikh community had long since made the demand for a visa-free Kartarpur Sahib corridor. The proposal was initially discussed in 1999 during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s bus journey to Lahore, India’s prime minister at the time. In 2000, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf authorized the plan and released several tenders for construction. India, however, contended that Pakistan had been holding up the request for the past 20 years. Since the temple is barely three kilometers from the Indian border, Pakistan agreed in 2000 to build a bridge from the border to the shrine so that Sikh pilgrims from India may visit the site without a visa.
Given the dire situation of India-Pakistan ties, members of the Indian parliamentary standing committee declared in May 2017 that no such corridor would be created. Alternatively, it was reported that the Indian government may install four binoculars to observe the location from Dera Baba Nanak, which is in the Gurdaspur region of the Indian state of Punjab, near the border with Pakistan.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, the former Punjabi government’s minister of tourism, received an invitation to Imran Khan, the recently elected prime minister of Pakistan, to witness his swearing-in ceremony. Sidhu said that General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of the Pakistan Army, had promised to open the passage before to Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday, after incurring backlash for hugging the general.
In September 2018, the Pakistani government made the unilateral decision to allow 5,000 Indian Sikhs to enter Pakistan without a visa each day, ahead of Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. The construction of the Kartarpur corridor, which would connect the international border between India and Pakistan to Dera Baba Nanak in the Gurdaspur area, has been authorized by the Indian government. The much-expected Kartarpur Corridor dubbed a “Corridor of Peace,” is beginning to take form. The Sikh community worldwide applauded the move. Following the confirmation of the corridor opening by Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Minister of Information, Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed gratitude for Imran Khan’s cordial approach. Both the US Department of State and the United Nations supported the Kartarpur Corridor.
Launching
The Kartarpur corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur with Sri Darbar Sahib Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab, India, was officially opened on November 9, 2019, the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This allowed the first Jatha (batch) of more than 550 pilgrims to visit Guru Nanak Dev’s final resting place ahead of the 550th Prakash Purab celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India commended his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for showing consideration for Indian feelings, started off the trip, and gave Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh of Akal Takht the Jatha banner.
The Jatha entered Pakistan through the corridor to pay respects at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, led by Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh. Imran Khan welcomed the pilgrims and formally opened the Kartarpur passage on the Pakistani side by revealing a massive Kirpan (dagger) behind a curtain raised by hot air balloons. Speaking at the event, Giani Harpreet Singh praised both governments for the corridor and asked for permission for Pakistani Sikhs to visit Sri Darbar Sahib Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side. During the opening, speakers from Pakistan and former Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh performed poetry on Guru Nanak from Muhammad Iqbal’s Bang-e-Dara.
