Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib

Birthplace Of Guru Nanak, Founder Of Sikhism (1469); One Of The Holiest Sikh Sites In The World, Administered By Pakistan'S Evacuee Trust Property Board · Nankana Sahib, Punjab

Nankana Sahib is where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in 1469, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan stands on the site of his birth. For the world's Sikhs it is one of the two or three holiest places on earth, and since Partition in 1947 put it in Pakistan it has also been one of the hardest to reach: most Sikhs live in India, and they come in organised groups on special pilgrim visas, above all for Guru Nanak's birth anniversary in November and for Vaisakhi in April, when the town fills with pilgrims from India, Britain, Canada and beyond. The gurdwara is a white building with a golden dome around a large courtyard, and the town has several other shrines tied to the Guru's childhood - Bal Lila, where he played, and Patti Sahib, where he went to school. In 1921 more than a hundred Sikhs were killed here by the men of the hereditary custodian, a massacre that drove the reform of gurdwara management across Punjab. Visitors of any faith are welcome, and the langar feeds everyone free, whoever they are.

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, Nankana Sahib District, Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan

Open daily, from early morning to late evening, with prayers and kirtan through the day. Entry is free and the langar serves free meals to all. Security is tight: foreign visitors should carry passports and may be registered at the gate. At the November and April festivals the town is closed to general traffic and packed with pilgrim groups. Nankana Sahib is roughly two hours by road west of Lahore.

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