The Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das ( ur, , label=

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' gurdwara in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. The gurdwara was built atop the site traditionally believed to be the location of the birthplace and childhood home of

Guru Ram Das Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism. He was born in a family based in Lahore. His birth name was Jetha, and he was ...

, the 4th

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 founde ...

Location

The gurdwara is located in the ''Chuna Mandi'' Bazaar in the

Walled City of Lahore The Walled City of Lahore ( Punjabi & ur, , ''"Inner City"''), also known as Old City, forms the historic core of Lahore, Pakistan. The city was established around 1000 CE in the western half of the Walled City, which was fortified by a mud w ...

, near the

Lahore Fort The Lahore Fort ( ur, , lit=Royal Fort, translit=Shāhī Qilā, label=Punjabi and Urdu) is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of walled city Lahore, and spreads over an area greater than ...

, and

Begum Shahi Mosque Begum Shahi Mosque ( ur, ), officially The Mosque of ''Mariyam Zamani Begum'' ( ur, ), is an early 17th-century mosque situated in the Walled City of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Constructed by Mughal Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani, chief consort of Em ...

. The shrine is located along the ''Shahi Guzargah'', or "Royal Passage" that began at Delhi Gate, and terminated at the Lahore Fort.

History

Historical photograph of Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das

Guru Ram Das was born in the ''Chuna Mandi'' Bazaar of Lahore in 1534 CE. The childhood home existed until the era of

Maharaja 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 ...

, who purportedly was asked to build a new shrine at the site during the birth celebrations of

Kharak Singh Kharak Singh (22 February 1801 – 5 November 1840) was the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur. He succeeded his father on 27 Jun ...

in 1801. Ranjit Singh agreed to the request, and acquired plots surrounding the site in order to build a new gurdwara. 18 Sikhs were reportedly killed in the gurdwara premises during communal rioting that occurred during the

Partition of British India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...

Architecture

The shrine was built atop a white marble platform, which is built several steps above street-level. The shrine measures 122 feet 6 inches by 97 feet 6 inches. To the west of the shrine is an open courtyard, surrounded on two sides by a two-story building.

Management

The shrine is managed by the Evacuee Trust Department of the Government of Pakistan. Readings from 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 ...

are carried out daily at the shrine.

Gallery

File:Gurudwara Arjun Ram 2 (WCLA).jpg, The gurdwara's interior File:Gurudwara_Arjun_Ram_1_(WCLA).jpg, The complex features additional buildings.

References