Gurdwara Janam Asthan

Gurdwara Janam Asthan (Punjabi and Urdu : گردوارہ جنم آسھن ), also referred to as Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, is a highly revered gurdwara that was built at the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was believed to be born.[2][3][4][5] The shrine is located in the city of Nankana Sahib, near the city of Lahore in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Gurdwara Janam Asthan گردوارہ جنم استھان‎ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਜਨਮ ਅਸਥਾਨ
Gurdwara Janam Asthan (The birth place), also known as the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib[1]
General information
Architectural style	Sikh architecture
Town or city	Nankana Sahib Punjab
Country	Pakistan
Construction started	1600 A.D.
Completed	1819–20 A.D.

Location

The shrine is located in the town of Nankana Sahib, approximately 65 kilometres from Lahore. Nankana Sahib had previously been known as Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī,[6] but was eventually renamed in honour of Guru Nanak.

Significance

Gurdwara Janam Asthan is believed to be located at the site where Guru Nanak was born to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta.[7]

The gurdwara forms part of an ensemble of nine important gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib.[8] The shrine is frequently visited by Sikh yatris as part of a pilgrimage route in Pakistan.

Gudrwara Janam Asthan Panorama

History

The first gurdwara is believed to have been built at the site in the 16th century by the grandson of Guru Nanak, Baba Dharam Chand.[8] The current gurdwara was built by Ranjit Singh in the 19th century.[9]

1921 Massacre

86 Sikhs were killed during the 20 February 1921 Nankana massacre,[10] which took place after a confrontation between supporters of the gurdwara's manager, Mahant Narayan Das, and members of the reformist Akali movement who accused him of both corruption and sexual impropriety.

Conservation

The gurdwara complex is listed on the Protected Heritage Monuments of the Archaeology Department of Punjab.[11]

Gallery

• 
  Main entrance
• 
  The main gate of Gurdwara Janam Asthan
• 
  Courtyard view
• 
  Mandap
• 
  Sarovar
• 
  Arcades around the sarovar
• 
  Gurdwara Janam Asthan
• 
  View of one of the towers of the main complex
• 
  Aerial view of Janam Asthan

See also

• Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur - Gurdwara built at the site where Guru Nanak died.
• Saka - The Martyrs of Nankana Sahib

References

1. Singh, Parvinder. "Pakistan Gurudwara, Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib, Dera Sahib, pilgrimage of pakistan gurudwara, Lahore Gurudwara, gurunanak Janam Asthan, gurudwara hasan abdal". Sikhtourism, Sikh Tourism, Golden Temple, Amritsar Tour, Hemkund Sahib, Sikh Pilgrimage, Punjab Gurudwara Tours, Pakistan Gurudwara Tours, India Gurudwara Tours, Punjab Tours, India Tours. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
2. Report, Staff (13 April 2016). "2,000 Sikh pilgrims arrive in city to celebrate Besakhi". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
3. Iqbal, Amjad (22 November 2015). "Over 2,500 Indian Sikhs attend annual pilgrimage". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
4. "Sikhs split over sale of Gurdwara Janam Asthan". The Nation. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
5. "Sikh pilgrims protest as permission to rally turned down in Nankana Sahib - Pakistan". dunyanews.tv. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
6. Khalsa, Sukhmandir (1 January 2010). "Historical Gurdwaras of Nankana, Pakistan Commemorating Guru Nanak Dev". About.com Religion & Spirituality. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
7. Bakhshi, Surinder Singh (2009). Sikhs in the Diaspora. ISBN 9780956072801.
8. "Nankana's pride". The News. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
9. "PAKISTAN NANKANA SAHIB".
10. Giani Partap Singh, Gurdwara Arthaat Akali Lehir, 1975, p 104.
11. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. "Guidelines for Critical & Sensitive Areas" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. pp. 12, 47, 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.

External links

Media related to Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib at Wikimedia Commons