Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539;
Gurmukhi
Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly r ...
: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
and is the first of the ten
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
. His birth is celebrated worldwide as
Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab also known as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak. One of the most celebrated and important Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev is highly revered by th ...
on ''
Katak Pooranmashi'' ('full-moon of
Kattak
Kattak ( ਕੱਤਕ, ) is the eighth month of the Nanakshahi calendar. This month coincides with Kartik in the Hindu calendar and the Indian national calendar, and October and November in the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is 30 days lon ...
'), i.e. October–November.
Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
teaching people the message of ''
ik onkar
, also spelled (Gurmukhi: or ; ); literally, "There is only one God or One creator or one Om-maker") is a phrase in Sikhism that denotes the one supreme reality. It is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy.
are the first words of the M ...
'' (), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set up a unique
spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.
Nanak's words are registered in the form of 974 poetic
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
s, or ''
shabda
''Shabda'' ( sa, शब्द, ), is the Sanskrit word for "speech sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an utterance in the sense of linguistic performance.
History
In classical Indian philosophy of language, the grammarian Katyayan ...
'', in the holy text of Sikhism, the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, with some of the major prayers being the ''
Japji Sahib
''Japji Sahib'' (Punjabi: ਜਪੁਜੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ) is the Sikh thesis, that appears at the beginning of the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' – the scripture of the Sikhs. It was composed by Guru Angad, and is mostly the writings of Guru Nanak. It ...
'' (; ''ji'' and ''sahib'' are suffixes signifying respect); the ''
Asa di Var
Asa Di Var, (Gurmukhi: ਆਸਾ ਦੀ ਵਾਰ) meaning “A ballad of hope,” is a collection of 24 stanzas (''pauris'') in the Guru Granth Sahib, from ang 462 to ang 475.
Some people argue that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, wrote ...
'' ('ballad of hope'); and the ''
Sidh Gosht'' ('discussion with the
Siddhas
''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...
'). It is part of Sikh religious belief that the spirit of Nanak's , divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them.
Biography
Birth
![The Entrance of Janam Asthan-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/The_Entrance_of_Janam_Asthan-2.jpg)
Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib () is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the most ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Pakistan) in the
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
province of the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). , although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian month of
Kārtik or November, known as
Kattak
Kattak ( ਕੱਤਕ, ) is the eighth month of the Nanakshahi calendar. This month coincides with Kartik in the Hindu calendar and the Indian national calendar, and October and November in the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is 30 days lon ...
in Punjabi.
Most ''
janamsakhis
The Janamsakhis ( pa, ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, IAST: ''Janam-sākhī'', ''lit.'' ''birth stories''), are legendary biographies of Guru Nanak – the founder of Sikhism. Popular in the Sikh history, these texts are considered by scholars as imaginar ...
'' (), or traditional biographies of Nanak, mention that he was born on the third day of the
bright lunar fortnight, in the
Baisakh
Vaisakha; hi, बैसाख, Baisākh; pa, ਵਿਸਾਖ/وساکھ , te, వైశాఖ, kn, ವೈಶಾಖ, Vaiśākha; ml, വൈശാഖം, Vaiśākham; mr, वैशाख, Vaiśākh; ta, வைகாசி, Vaikāci; ne, ...
month (April) of
Samvat
The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a s ...
1526. These include the ''
Puratan'' ('traditional' or 'ancient') ''janamsakhi'',
''Miharban'' ''janamsakhi'', ''
Gyan-ratanavali'' by
Bhai Mani Singh
Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar t ...
, and the ''Vilayat Vali janamsakhi''. The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the 10th day of the
Asauj month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539 CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was born in the month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November).
Kattak birthdate
![Birth of Guru Nanak, painting from an 1830's Janamsakhi (life stories) 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Birth_of_Guru_Nanak%2C_painting_from_an_1830%27s_Janamsakhi_%28life_stories%29_13.jpg)
In as late as 1815, during the reign of
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
, the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the place of his birth, known by then as
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib () is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the most ...
. However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the
Gurpurab
Gurpurab ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ) in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary of a Guru's birth marked by the holding of a festival.
There are indications in the old chronicles that the gurus who succeeded Guru Nanak cele ...
(''
gur'' + )—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day of the Kattak month in November. The earliest record of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868 CE.
There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may have been the date of Nanak's
enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in 1496, as suggested by the ''
Dabestan-e Mazaheb
The ''Dabestān-e Mazāheb'' ( fa, دبستان مذاهب) "school of religions" is a Persian language work that examines and compares Abrahamic religions, Dharmic religions and sects of the mid-17th century Southern Eurasia. The work, whose a ...
''.
The only janamsakhi that supports the Kattak birth tradition is
that of Bhai Bala.
Bhai Bala
Bhai Bala ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਬਾਲਾ 1466–1544), born in Talwandi Rai Bhoi into a Sandhu Jat family (now called Nankana Sahib in Pakistan),McLeod, W.H., Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion. Oxford, 1968. was a childhood friend and lifelong co ...
is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope from Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born on a date corresponding to 20 October 1469 CE. However, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the founder as superior to Nanak. According to a superstition prevailing in contemporary
northern India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
, a child born in the Kattak month was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why the work states that Nanak was born in that month.
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ; 1551 – 25 August 1636) was a Sikh writer, historian and preacher who served as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht from 1606 to his death in 1636. He was the original scribe of the early version of ...
, having written on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month several decades after Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on the same day, and it was now the author's turn to "get divine light."
According to
Max Arthur Macauliffe
Michael MacAuliffe, also known as Max Arthur Macauliffe (11 September 1838 − 15 March 1913) and Max Singh Metcalfe, was a senior British administrator, prolific scholar and author. MacAuliffe is renowned for his partial translation of Sikh sc ...
(1909), a Hindu festival held in the 19th century on
Kartik Purnima
Kartika Purnima is a Hindu, Sikh and Jain cultural festival that is celebrated on Purnima (full moon day), the 15th (or 30th) lunar day of the month of Kartika. It falls in November or December of the Gregorian calendar and is also known as T ...
in
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
attracted a large number of Sikhs. The Sikh community leader
Giani
A gyani or giani (Punjabi: ਗਿਆਨੀ ) is an honorific Sikh title used by someone learned in the Sikh religion and who often leads the congregation in prayers, such as Ardas, or in singing ( kirtan). The word means "knowledge" in Punja ...
Sant Singh did not like this, thus starting a festival at the Sikh shrine of the
Golden Temple on the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak.
Macauliffe also notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already saw a number of important festivals—such as
Holi
Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
,
Rama Navami
Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...
, and
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi ( Punjabi: ), also pronounced Baisakhi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April as a celebration of spring harvest primarily in Northern India. Further, o ...
—therefore people would be busy in agricultural activities after the
harvest festival
A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places. ...
of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, and therefore, smaller donations for the Sikh shrines. On the other hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Hindu festival of
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
was already over, and the peasants—who had surplus cash from crop sales—were able to donate generously.
Family and early life
Nanak's parents, including father Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly shortened to
Mehta Kalu
Mehta Kalu, formally Kalyan Das, (1440–1520) was the father of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
Kalu was born as 'Kalyan Das' to Shiv Ram Bedi and Mata Banarasi in a Hindu Khatri family of the '' Bedi'' gotra.
He served as the ''patwar ...
) and mother
Mata Tripta
Mata Tripta ( Punjabi: ਮਾਤਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਾ; ''mātā tripatā'') was the mother of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. Her father was Bhai Raam, a Jhangar Khatri from the village of Chaliawala (or Chahal), near Lahore, and he ...
, were both
Hindu Khatris
Khatri is a caste of the Indian subcontinent that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the subcontinent, they were mostly engaged in mercantilistic professions such as banking and trade, they were the d ...
and employed as merchants. His father, in particular, was the local
''patwari'' (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of
Talwandi
Talvandi or Talwandi ( ur, ), is a town and Union Councils of India, Union Council of Kasur District in the Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab province of Pakistan. .
According to Sikh traditions, the birth and early years of Nanak's life were marked with many events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with divine grace. Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. For instance, at the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school, as per custom. Notable lore recounts that, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the
first letter of the alphabet, resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God. Other stories of his childhood refer to strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as the one witnessed by
Rai Bular, in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh sunlight by, in one account, by the stationary shadow of a tree or, in another, by a venomous cobra.
Nanaki, Nanak's only sister, was five years older than him. In 1475, she married and moved to
Sultanpur. Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed at a ''modikhana'' (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in the service of the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). 's
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
governor
Daulat Khan
Daulat Khan Lodi (Pashto: دولت خان لودی) was the governor of Lahore during the reign of Ibrahim Lodi, the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty. Due to disaffection with Ibrahim, Daulat invited Babur to invade the kingdom. He was initial ...
, at which Ram would help Nanak get a job. Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of 16.
As a young man,
Nanak married Sulakhani, daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula)
and Chando Raṇi.
They were married on 24 September 1487, in the town of
Batala
Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal corpo ...
, and would go on to have two sons,
Sri Chand
Sri Chand (8 September 1494–13 January 1629, Gurmukhi: ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚੰਦ), also referred to as Baba Sri Chandra or Bhagwan Sri Chandra, was the founder of the Udasi sect of ascetic Sadhus.
Early life
He was the eldest son of Guru Nan ...
and Lakhmi Chand (or Lakhmi Das). Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. 1500, which would be a formative time for him, as the ''puratan''
''janamsakhi'' suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.
Final years
![Gurdwara Baba Atal fresco 39](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Gurdwara_Baba_Atal_fresco_39.jpg)
Around the age of 55, Nanak settled in
Kartarpur, living there until his death in September 1539. During this period, he went on short journeys to the
Nath
Nath, also called Natha, are a Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions in India.[yogi
A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...]
centre of Achal, and the Sufi centres of
Pakpattan
Pakpattan (Punjabi and ), often referred to as Pākpattan Sharīf (; ''"Noble Pakpattan"''), is the capital city of the Pakpattan District, located in Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the 48th largest city of Pakistan by population according ...
and
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
. By the time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers in the
Punjab region
Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...
, although it is hard to estimate their number based on the extant historical evidence. The followers of Nanak were called ''Kartārīs'' (meaning 'the people who belonged to the village of Kartarpur') by others.
Guru Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
, renaming him as
Guru ''Angad'', meaning "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Guru Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in
Kartarpur, at the age of 70. According to Sikh
hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
, Guru Nanak's body was never found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged at the sheet covering Nanak’s body, they found instead a heap of flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course of time, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions and customary practices.
Odysseys (''Udasis'')
During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went on long ''udasiya'' ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored by him states that he visited several places in "''nau-khand''" ('the nine regions of the earth'), presumably the major Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage centres.
Some modern accounts state that he visited
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
, most of
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
, and
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
, starting in 1496 at age 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year period. These claims include Nanak's visit to
Mount Sumeru of
Indian mythology, as well as
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
,
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, Achal Batala, and
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
, where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups. These stories became widely popular in the 19th and 20th century, and exist in many versions.
In 1508, Nanak visited the
Sylhet region
The 1947 Sylhet referendum was held in the Sylhet District of the Assam Province of British India to decide whether the district would remain in Undivided Assam and therefore within the post-independence Dominion of India, or leave Assam for E ...
in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. The ''janamsakhis'' suggest that Nanak visited the
Ram Janmabhoomi
Ram Janmabhoomi (literally, "Rama's birthplace") is the site that is hypothesized to be the birthplace of Rama, believed to be the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The Ramayana states that the location of Rama's birthplace is on the ...
temple in
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...
in 1510–11 CE.
The Baghdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars that Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
,
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
,
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
.
Disputes
The
hagiographic
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...
details are a subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning the details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert and Snell (1994) state that early Sikh texts do not contain such stories. From when the travel stories first appear in hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, with the late phase ''Puratan'' version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from the ''Miharban'' version.
Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century ''Puratan'' janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel to Baghdad. Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according to Callewaert and Snell (1993), closely parallel claims of miracles by
Islamic ''pirs'' found in Sufi ''
tadhkirah
Tadhkirah (), Arabic for "memorandum" or "admonition", is frequently used as part of the title of literary works of the nature of authoritative collections or summaries. It may refer to the following works:
*''al-Tadhkira al-Harawiya fi al-hiyal ...
s'' of the same era, giving reason to believe that these legends may have been written in a competition.
Another source of dispute has been the Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription in a Turkish script. Some interpret the inscription as saying ''Baba Nanak Fakir'' was there in 1511–1512; others read it as saying 1521–1522 (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 years away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue that the stone inscription is from the 19th century and the stone is not a reliable evidence that Guru Nanak visited Baghdad in early 16th century. Moreover, beyond the stone, no evidence or mention of Guru Nanak's journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or
epigraphical
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them.
Novel claims about his travels, as well as claims such as Guru Nanak's body vanishing after his death, are also found in later versions and these are similar to the miracle stories in Sufi literature about their ''pirs''. Other direct and indirect borrowings in the Sikh ''janamsakhis'' relating to legends around Guru Nanak's journeys are from
Hindu epics
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called ''Kavya'' (or ''Kāvya''; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá''). The ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', which were originally composed in ...
and ''
puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
,'' and
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
Jataka stories.
Posthumous biographies
The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today are the ''
janamsakhis
The Janamsakhis ( pa, ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, IAST: ''Janam-sākhī'', ''lit.'' ''birth stories''), are legendary biographies of Guru Nanak – the founder of Sikhism. Popular in the Sikh history, these texts are considered by scholars as imaginar ...
'' ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of the guru's birth in great detail.
''Gyan-ratanavali'' is the janamsakhi attributed to
Bhai Mani Singh
Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar t ...
, a disciple of
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
who was approached by some Sikhs with a request that he should prepare an authentic account of Guru Nanak's life. As such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting
heretical
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
accounts of Guru Nanak.
One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by a close companion of the Guru,
Bhai Bala
Bhai Bala ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਬਾਲਾ 1466–1544), born in Talwandi Rai Bhoi into a Sandhu Jat family (now called Nankana Sahib in Pakistan),McLeod, W.H., Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion. Oxford, 1968. was a childhood friend and lifelong co ...
. However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars, such as
Max Arthur Macauliffe
Michael MacAuliffe, also known as Max Arthur Macauliffe (11 September 1838 − 15 March 1913) and Max Singh Metcalfe, was a senior British administrator, prolific scholar and author. MacAuliffe is renowned for his partial translation of Sikh sc ...
, certain that they were composed after his death. According to such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the claim that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels.
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ; 1551 – 25 August 1636) was a Sikh writer, historian and preacher who served as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht from 1606 to his death in 1636. He was the original scribe of the early version of ...
, a scribe of the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, also wrote about Nanak's life in his ''vars'' ('odes'), which were compiled some time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than the janamsakhis.
Teachings and legacy
![Fresco of Guru Nanak from Goindwal Baoli Sahib](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Fresco_of_Guru_Nanak_from_Goindwal_Baoli_Sahib.jpg)
Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, as a collection of verses recorded in
Gurmukhi
Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly r ...
.
There are three competing theories on Guru Nanak's teachings. The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (1995, 1997), based on the
hagiographical
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...
''
Janamsakhis
The Janamsakhis ( pa, ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, IAST: ''Janam-sākhī'', ''lit.'' ''birth stories''), are legendary biographies of Guru Nanak – the founder of Sikhism. Popular in the Sikh history, these texts are considered by scholars as imaginar ...
'', states that Nanak's teachings and
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
were revelations from God, and not a social protest movement, nor an attempt to reconcile
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in the 15th century.
The second theory states that Nanak was a
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
, not a prophet. According to Singha (2009):
Sikhism does not subscribe to the theory of incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...
or the concept of prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul.
The third theory is that Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has been supported by many Sikhs including
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ; 1551 – 25 August 1636) was a Sikh writer, historian and preacher who served as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht from 1606 to his death in 1636. He was the original scribe of the early version of ...
,
Bhai Vir Singh
Bhai Vir Singh (5 December 1872 – 10 June 1957) was an Indian poet, scholar, and theologian of the Sikh revival movement, playing an important part in the renewal of Punjabi literary tradition. Singh's contributions were so important and in ...
, Santhok Singh and is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas says:
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ।
The Guru and God are one; He is the true master and the whole world craves for Him.
Additionally in the Guru Granth Sahib it is stated:
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥
O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and in the end, you shall not be called to account. , , 2, ,
Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the ten Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Gurus of Sikhism. He was born in a family based in Lahore. His birth n ...
says:
ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੋੁਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥
The Guru is God, and God is the Guru, O Nanak; there is no difference between the two, O Siblings of Destiny. , , 4, , 1, , 8, ,
The hagiographical ''Janamsakhis'' were not written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard for historical accuracy, containing numerous legends and myths created to show respect for Nanak. In Sikhism, the term ''revelation'', as Cole and Sambhi clarify, is not limited to the teachings of Nanak. Rather, they include all
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
, as well as the words of men and women from Nanak's past, present, and future, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. The Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh
''bhagats'' (Hindu devotees), some who lived and died before the birth of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Sikh scriptures.
The
Adi Granth
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the re ...
and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, suggests Mandair (2013), that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices from God, but it is about changing the nature of the human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and spiritual perfection at any time." Guru Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.
The concept of man as elaborated by Guru Nanak, states Mandair (2009), refines and negates the "
monotheistic
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...
concept of self/God," where "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love." The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I," attaining the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life."
Guru Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasised ''
bhakti
''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
'' ('love', 'devotion', or 'worship'), and taught that the spiritual life and secular householder life are intertwined. In the Sikh perspective, the everyday world is part of an infinite reality, where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world. Guru Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than the
metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
truth.
Through popular tradition, Nanak's teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:
* ''
Vand Shhako'' (): Share with others, help those who are in need, so you may eat together;
* ''
Kirat Karo'' ('work honestly'): Earn an honest living, without exploitation or fraud; and
* ''
Naam Japo
In Sikhism, Nām Japō ( Gurmukhi ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ), also known as Naam Japna or Naam Simran, refers to the meditation or contemplation of the various Names of God (or qualities of God), especially the chanting of the word " Waheguru" ('Wo ...
'' (): Meditate on God's name, so to feel His presence and control the
five thieves
In Sikhism, the Five Thieves (Punjabi: ਪੰਜ ਚੋਰ ''paja cōra''), also called the five vices (Punjabi: ਪੰਜ ਬੁਰਾਈਆਂ ''paja burā'ī'āṁ''), are the five major weaknesses of the human personality at variance with its ...
of the human personality.
Legacy
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is the founder of
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator; unity of all humankind; engaging in
selfless service
Selfless may refer to:
* Selflessness, the act of sacrificing one's own interest for the greater good
** Selfless service
* ''Selfless'' (album), a 1994 album by English industrial metal band Godflesh
*'' Self/less'', a 2015 film starring Ryan Rey ...
, striving for social justice for the
benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.
The Guru Granth Sahib is worshipped as the supreme authority of Sikhism and is considered the final and perpetual guru of Sikhism. As the first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak contributed a total of 974 hymns to the book.
Influences
Many Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak's message was divinely revealed, as his own words in
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
state that his teachings are as he has received them from the Creator Himself. The critical event of his life in
Sultanpur, in which he returned after three days with enlightenment, also supports this belief.
Many modern historians give weight to his teachings' linkage with the pre-existing ''
bhakti
''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
'',
''sant'', and ''
wali
A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
'' of Hindu/Islamic tradition. Scholars state that in its origins, Guru Nanak and Sikhism were influenced by the ''nirguni'' ('formless God') tradition of the
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
in medieval India. However, some historians do not see evidence of Sikhism as simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. Sikhism, for instance, disagreed with some views of Bhakti saints
Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...
and
Ravidas
Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a ''guru'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punj ...
.
The roots of the Sikh tradition are perhaps in the
sant-tradition of India whose ideology grew to become the Bhakti tradition. Fenech (2014) suggests that:
Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' and the secondary canon, the ''Dasam Granth
The ''Dasam Granth'' (Gurmukhi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ''dasama gratha'') is a collection of various manuscripts in Sikhism containing compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. '' and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors.
In the Bahá'í Faith
In a letter, dated 27 October 1985, to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate o ...
stated that Guru Nanak was endowed with a "saintly character" and that he was:
...inspired to reconcile the religions of Hinduism and Islám, the followers of which religions had been in violent conflict.... The Bahá'ís thus view Guru Nanak as a 'saint of the highest order'.
In Hinduism
![Mural of Guru Nanak from Sui Simbli temple in Jammu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Mural_of_Guru_Nanak_from_Sui_Simbli_temple_in_Jammu.jpg)
Guru Nanak is highly influential amongst
Sindhi Hindus
Sindhi Hindus are Sindhis who follow the Hindu religion, whose origins lie in the Sindh region and spread across modern-day India and Pakistani Sindh province. After the Partition of India in 1947, many Sindhi Hindus were among those who fled ...
, where the majority follow
Nanakpanthi
Nanakpanthi (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ; ''nānakapathī'') is a follower of the teachings of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the foundational guru of a spiritual community natively known as Nanakpanth while known world-wide as Sikhism. Nanakpan ...
teachings.
In popular culture
* A Punjabi movie was released in 2015 named ''
Nanak Shah Fakir
''Nanak Shah Fakir'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi language, Punjabi-language biographical film based on the life of Guru Nanak, and produced by Gurbani Media Pvt. Ltd. It was theatrically released on 17 April 2015.
It won the awards for Nargis Dutt ...
'', which is based on the life of Guru Nanak, directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu and produced by Gurbani Media Pvt. Ltd.
* ''
Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels'' is a 2021–22 docuseries about Guru Nanak's travels in nine different countries.
Places visited
Uttarakhand
*
Gurudwara Reetha Sahib
Gurudwara Reetha Sahib is situated in Champawat district, Uttarakhand, India. It is 16 hours journey away from Chandigarh (581 km) approx. This gurudwara holds a very sacred place in Sikh Religion as Guru Nanak Dev himself had visited this place ...
,
Champawat, Uttrakhand
*
Nanakmatta
Nanakmatta is a historical town named after the Sikh pilgrimage site, Gurdwara Nanak Mata Sahib, in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Sikh tradition records that the site was once called Gorakhmata, a centre of Siddh-jogis named after the fou ...
Andhra Pradesh
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi
Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. It is situated to the west of the Bay ...
Bihar
* Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Sheetal Kund –
Rajgir
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...
*
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
Delhi
*
Gurdwara Nanak Piao
{{coord, 28.69, 77.19, display=title
Gurdwara Nanak Piao is a historical ''Gurudwara'' located in north Delhi in India. This gurdwara sahib is dedicated to the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Gurdwara Nanak Piao was built at t ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
* Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
Gujarat
* Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi,
Lakhpat, Gujarat
Haryana
*
Panipat
Panipat () is a historic city in Haryana, India. It is 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on List of National Highways in India, NH-1. The three major battles fought in First Battle of Panipat, 1526, Second Battle of ...
Jammu and Kashmir
*
Hari Parbat
Hari Parbat (), also called Koh-i-Maran (), is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of a fort, built by the Durrani Empire, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, and gurdwara.
The ...
,
Srinagar
Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
Punjab
* Gurudwara Shri Ber Sahib,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
* Gurudwara Shri Hatt Sahib,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
* Gurudwara Shri Kothri Sahib,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
* Gurudwara Shri Guru Ka Bagh,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
* Gurudwara Shri Sant Ghat,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
* Gurudwara Shri Antaryamta,
Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
*
Dera Baba Nanak
Dera Baba Nanak is a town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district, in the state of Punjab, India. It is 36km away from Gurdaspur city, the capital of the district. Since November 2019, a corridor between India and Pakistan has been establ ...
* Gurudwara Manji Sahib,
Kiratpur Sahib
Kiratpur also known as Kiratpur Sahib is a town in Rupnagar district, Punjab, India. The town is the location of the Gurdwara Patal Puri where many Sikhs take ashes of their deceased.
Kiratpur Sahib Town
Kiratpur Sahib (31.1820758°n 76.563 ...
*
Achal Batala.
Sikkim
* Gurudwara Nanak Lama,
Chungthang, Sikkim
*
Gurudongmar Lake
Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and in India, at an elevation of according to the Government of Sikkim. It is located in the Great Himalayas in the North Sikkim district, Mangan District in States and union territori ...
Odisha
* Gurdwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib,
Cuttack, Odisha
Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia language, Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' w ...
* Gurdwara Bauli Math Sahib,
Puri, Odisha
Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as ''S ...
Pakistan
*
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib () is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the most ...
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Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also called Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in Kartarpur, located in Shakargarh, Narowal District, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is built on the historic site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, s ...
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Kartarpur
* Gurdwara Sacha Sauda,
Farooqabad
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Sultanpur Lodhi
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as go ...
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Gurdwara Rori Sahib
Gurdwara Rori Sahib is a gurdwara which is located in Eminabad, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built during the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.
References
Gujranwala
Gurdwaras in Pakistan
Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan
...
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Gujranwala
Gujranwala ( ur, , label=none; ) is a city and capital of Gujranwala Division located in Pakistan. It is also known as "City of Wrestlers" and is quite famous for its food. It is the 5th most populous city proper after Karachi, Lahore, Faisala ...
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Gurdwara Beri Sahib
Gurdawara Bair Sahib also called Baba Beri or Baba Bair is situated in Sialkot, Pakistan. It was the place where Baba Guru Nanak stayed and met Hamza Ghaus, a famous saint of Sialkot. The berry tree under which Guru Nanak stayed is still present. T ...
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Sialkot
Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...
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Gurdwara Panja Sahib
Gurdwara Panja Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪੰਜਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ , ;
ur, ) is a famous gurdwara located in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan. The shrine is considered to be particularly important as the handprint of the founder of Sik ...
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Hasan Abdal
Hasan Abdal ( Punjabi, ur, ), is a city in the Attock District of Punjab Province in Pakistan, located 40 km northwest of the country's capital city, Islamabad. Hassan Abdal is the headquarters of Hasan Abdal Tehsil (sub-district).
As home ...
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Gurudwara Chowa Sahib
Gurdwara Chowa Sahib ( ur, ; ''literally: "Gurudwara of the exalted spring"'') is a renovated gurudwara located at the northern edge of the Rohtas Fort, near Jhelum, Pakistan. Situated near the fort's ''Talaqi'' gate, the gurdwara commemorates t ...
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Rohtas Fort
Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur ( Punjabi, ur, ; ''Qila Rohtas'') is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan warlord turned Padishah, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, w ...
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Narowal
Narowal ( ur, ) is a city located on the western bank of river Ravi in the northeast of the province Punjab, Pakistan. The city is the capital of district Narowal, and a part of the Gujranwala division. It is the 94th largest city of Pakistan. ...
Bangladesh
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Gurdwara Nanak Shahi
Gurdwara Nanak Shahi ( bn, গুরুদুয়ারা নানকশাহী, pa, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਸ਼ਾਹੀ) is the principal Sikh ''Gurdwara'' (prayer hall) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located at the campus ...
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Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
Afghanistan
* Gurduara Baba Nanak Dev Ji,
Jalalabad
Jalalabad (; Dari/ ps, جلالآباد, ) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about from the capital Kabul. Jala ...
* Chashma Sahib Patshahi Pahili,
Jalalabad
Jalalabad (; Dari/ ps, جلالآباد, ) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about from the capital Kabul. Jala ...
Iran
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi,
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
Iraq
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Baba Nanak Shrine,
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
Sri Lanka
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi
Batticaloa
Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the B ...
* Koti, now known as
Kotikawatta
Kotikawatta is a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka, situated east of the Colombo central business district. It is a fast developing administrative, commercial, and residential area in Colombo District.
See also
*List of towns in Western Province, Sr ...
Saudi Arabia
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Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
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Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
See also
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Nanakpanthi
Nanakpanthi (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ; ''nānakapathī'') is a follower of the teachings of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the foundational guru of a spiritual community natively known as Nanakpanth while known world-wide as Sikhism. Nanakpan ...
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Fatehabad, Punjab
Fatehabad is a small town in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab State. in India, located about 20 km from Tarn Taran Sahib
Historical importance
Fatehabad was once the capital of the Ahluwalia Misl prior to the shifting of the capital t ...
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List of places named after Guru Nanak Dev
This is a list of places named after the first guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Educational institutions Educational Institutions in India University
* Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
* Guru Nanak Open University Patiala
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College ...
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Bebe Nanaki
Bebe Nanaki (, ; ), alternative spelt as Bibi Nanaki, was the elder sister of Guru Nanak, the founder and first ''Guru'' of Sikhism. Nanaki is an important figure in Sikhism, and is known as the first ''Gursikh''. She was the first to realize ...
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Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
Notes
Citations
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External links and Further reading
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Singh, Sahib. ''Guru Nanak Dev and His Teachings''.
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sikh-history.com
{{Authority control
1469 births
1539 deaths
15th-century religious leaders
Founders of religions
History of Punjab
History of Sikhism
Miracle workers
People from Nankana Sahib District
Punjab
Punjabi people
Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...