Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal District is situated 120 km from Lahore. It is built on the
historic site where Guru Nanak settled and assembled a Sikh community after his missionary travels. The
present Gurdwara is built on the site where Guru Nanak is stated to have left for his heavenly abode on 22nd
September 1539. It is located near the border between Pakistan and India and can be viewed from top places
at Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side. The present building was built at a cost of Rs.1,35,600/-, donated
by Sardar Bhupindar Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala. It was repaired by the Government of Pakistan in 1995,
and fully restored in 2004, incurring expenditure in lacs of rupees. It has a spacious and beautiful building.
As it is situated in a forest across the Ravi river, it has been purposed by a US-based NGO EcoSikhs that
a hundred acre sacred forest should be established around the shrine. As the shrine lies only 3 kilometres
Some Prominent Gurdwaras and 12 Sikh Organizations of The World
from the border with India, Pakistan in the year 2000 agreed to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the
shrine visa-free by constructing a bridge from the border to the shrine. In May 2017, Indian parliamentary
standing committee members announced that no such corridor would be established, given the poor state
of India-Pakistan relations. Instead, the government of India installed four binoculars for viewing of the site.
Recently when Navjot Singh Siddu went to Pakistan at the time of swearing in ceremony of Imran Khan
as the Prime Minister, General Bajwa made him emotional by saying that they will soon open the corridor
from India’s Dera Baba Nanak to the Sikh Shrine of Kartarpur Sahib. This issue became an issue of criticism
of Mr. Sidhu by the opponents as Mr. Siddu embraced General Bajwa in a fit of emotion. In their view Mr.
Sidhu was wrong to show affection for Pakistani Army chief. However, despite the declarations by Pakistan
Authorities regarding the opening of the said corridor, the issue had again lost its importance in the political
allegations and counter allegations. Thanks God that on the occasion of Guru Nanak’s 549th Birthday the
BJP government announced its decision to accept the opening of Kartarpur passage before the 550th Birth
Anniversary of the the Guru. Even the foundation stone ceremony was organized both in India as well as
Pakistan. As it is an emotional issue for all the devotees of the house of Guru Nanak, governments of both
the countries must complete this passage on time. It will not only please crores of people who want to visit
this shrine without Visa, but will also prove a stepping stone on the path of improving relations between the
two countries. It need to be added that even the persons who made efforts in this regard in past had also held
similar views regarding the benefit of opening the corridor for the improvement of relations. For example
Veteran Akali Leader S. Kuldip Singh Wadala, who was regularly leading deligations of devotees to perform
Ardaas in this regard, had also stated that “If constructed, the corridor will help in cementing the India-Pak
relationship and usher in peace in the subcontinent”.
