Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Nanak Dev

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Gurdwara Janam Asthaan the shrine representing the home of Mehta Kalyan Dass and Mata Tripta, father and mother respectively of Guru Nanak Dev, where the Guru was born, was established by Baba Dharam Chand (1523-1618) son of Baba Lakhmi Das and grandson of Guru Nanak Dev. The shrine must have been established before the end of the sixteenth century because Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) is believed to have visited it. Its present building comprising a square, domed sanctum with a rectangular pavilion attached to it within a vast walled compound was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.


On February 20, 1921, about 150 unarmed Sikhs went to the Gurdwara early in the morning. The mahant's private force of armed gundas (goons), who had been hired to teach the Sikhs a lesson, closed and secured the main gate behind them. Then they and the Mahant shot, knifed, and even burnt alive the Sikh pilgrims. Hearing of the massacre, thousands of Sikhs walked long distances to Nanakana Sahib. They were forced to go by foot because train travel was prohibited to them. The Sikhs were determined to take charge of the Gurdwara and of the dead bodies of the Sikhs who had been massacred the day before.

However, when the British learned of the massacre they quickly ordered their troops to occupy the Gurdwara before Sikh protesters could arrive, in order to protect the mahant's interests. They had no intention of turning the Gurdwara over to the Sikhs. The Sikhs, determined to sacrifice their lives if necessary, organized themselves into Jathas or groups. They pressed forward, group after group, in spite of the army's threats to gun them down. Finally the soldiers yielded, unable to face killing so many innocent Sikhs undoubtably the Jallianwallabagh massacre was still fresh in their minds. The mahant and his men were not harmed, but were taken into custody by the police. Sikhs took charge of the Gurdwara and of the corpses of the massacred Sikhs which were partly burnt and scattered everywhere.


Several other buildings were added in the years after the S.G.P.C. took control on the next day the 21st February 1921.


The traditional fair which was held here to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev continued with great eclat until Britain's 1947 Partition of India. Since that year the Pakistan government had permitted only 15 Sikhs to stay at Nankana Sahib to carry out routine services at the shrine, but their number was reduced to a bare five in 1968 and, still later, to a solitary Granthi who maintains a token attendance with the help of some sahajdhari (unbaptised) Sindhi Sikhs. Thrice a year, on Baisakhi (April), death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (June) and birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev (November), the Pakistan government allows Sikh jathas, a few hundred strong each, to visit this and other shrines at Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib and Lahore.


According to Waliullah Khan's, Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan, there is a sacred relic, Chola Sahib, preserved in Pakistan. The relic is a cloak with Quranic verses embroidered on it supposed to have been presented to Guru Nanak Dev by the ruler of Baghdad during the Guru's visit to that city.

If there is such a relic (old Sikh documents make no mention of it), it is a fake relic, because the Chola Sahib believed to be the real one is preserved at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of the Indian Punjab.

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