Punjab
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 ...
province of
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 ...
. It is named after the first Guru of the
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...
,
Guru 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 w ...
, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is the most important religious site for the Sikh religion. It is located about west of
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 ...
and about east of
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
. According to the census of 2017 the city has a population of 79,540 inhabitants. Until 2005, it was a part of the
Sheikhupura District
Sheikhupura District ( pa, ;
ur, ), is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of ...
.
History
The township was founded by Rai Bhoi, a Hindu and thus was known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi. His great-grand son
Rai Bular Bhatti
Rai Bular, (died c. 1515 or 1518) was a Muslim Rajput landlord of the Bhati clan during the latter half of the 15th century.
He inherited the position as ''zamindar'' of Talwandi from his father Rai Bhoi.
Although a Muslim Rajput, Rai was in ...
, renamed it as 'Nankana Sahib' after the birth of Guru Nanak. The Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, originally constructed in around 1600 CE was renovated in 1819–20 CE by Gian-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh The Sikh Conference of Panjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Peshawar, Kangra and Hazara.
During the Akali movement, on 20 February 1921, Narain Das, the Udasi
mahant
Mahant () is a religious superior, in particular the chief of a temple or the head of a monastery in Indian religions.
James Mallinson, one of the few westerners to be named as a mahant, describes the position of a mahant as a combination of a ...
(clergy) of the gurdwara at Nankana Sahib, ordered his men to fire on Akali protesters, leading to the
Nankana massacre
The Nankana massacre (or Saka Nankana Sahib) in Nankana Sahib gurdwara on 20 February 1921, at that time a part of the British India but today in modern-day Pakistan. Between 140 and 260 Sikhs were killed, including children as young as seven, ...
. The firing was widely condemned, and an agitation was launched until the control of this historic Janam Asthan Gurdwara was restored to the Sikhs. Again in the 1930s and 1940s the Sikhs added more buildings and more architectural design.
Geography
Nankana Sahib and it surroundings were formerly a
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its adminis ...
of
Sheikhupura District
Sheikhupura District ( pa, ;
ur, ), is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of ...
. In May 2005, the provincial government raised the status of Nankana Sahib to a district as a way of promoting development in the area. The present status is District Nankana Sahib has three tehsils: Nankana Sahib, Shah Kot, and Sangla Hill. Before December 2008, District Nankana Sahib also included Safdarabad Tehsil.
There are plans to construct a university as well as hospitals and health care facilities by the district government with mutual interest of local communities and family of Rai Bular.
In 2007, the Pakistan government announced a plan to set up a university on Sikh religion and culture at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. Chairman of Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Gen (R) Zulfikar Ali Khan, said that "The international Guru Nanak University planned at Nankana Sahib would have the best architecture, curricula and research centre on Sikh religion and culture".
In 2019 after prolonged efforts of the Sikh community the historical Gurudwara on Nankana sahib was given direct access to pilgrims via the
Kartarpur corridor
The Kartarpur Corridor ( pa, ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਲਾਂਘਾ , , translit=kartārpur lāṅghā; ur, , translit=kartárpúr ráhdári) is a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor, connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, ne ...
project. The first batch of Sikh pilgrims arrived in Pakistan on 12 November, the historical occasion of the 550th gurupurab (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak, the founding guru of Sikhism.
Demographics
Languages
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 ...
Faisalabad International Airport
Faisalabad International Airport is an international airport and standby Pakistan Air Force military base situated on Jhang Road, southwest of the city centre of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The airport is home to two flyin ...
88 km
*
Allama Iqbal International Airport
Allama Iqbal International Airport ( ur, , ) is the third largest civilian airport by traffic in Pakistan, after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and Islamabad International Airport. It serves Lahore, capital of Punjab and second-larges ...
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 ...
.
Notable people
*
Guru 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 w ...
founder and first of the
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 ...
*
Rai Bular Bhatti
Rai Bular, (died c. 1515 or 1518) was a Muslim Rajput landlord of the Bhati clan during the latter half of the 15th century.
He inherited the position as ''zamindar'' of Talwandi from his father Rai Bhoi.
Although a Muslim Rajput, Rai was in ...
*
Mohammad Irfan
Mohammad Irfan (Punjabi, ur, ) (born 6 June 1982) is a Pakistani cricketer who has represented Pakistan in Test, ODI and T20 cricket. Known for his height of 7'1" (216 cm), he is the tallest player to play first-class and internationa ...
Ganga Ram
Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram (born Ganga Ram Agarwal; 13 April 1851 – 10 July 1927) was an Indian civil engineer and architect. His extensive contributions to the urban fabric of Lahore, then in colonial India and now in modern Pakistan, caus ...
*
Ijaz Shah
Ijaz Ahmed Shah is a Pakistani politician, former officer of the Pakistan Army, and a former Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer.Babra Sharif
Babra Sharif ( ur, ), (born 10 December 1954) is a Pakistani film actress, most known for her roles from the mid-1970s to the 1980s. She started her career in television commercials. She has worked with many famous names of her time, including S ...
Allied Schools (Pakistan)
Allied Schools is a school system and a group of schools in Pakistan. This school system is working under the Punjab Group of Colleges. Its founder & chairman is Mian Amer Mahmood
Mian Amer Mahmood, (born 25 July 1960) is a Pakistani b ...
There are two Police stations in Nankana Sahib
* Police Station City Nankana Sahib
* Police Station Sadar Nankana Sahib
Hospitals
* District Headquarter Hospital
See also
*
Sikhism in Pakistan
Sikhism in Pakistan has an extensive heritage and history, although Sikhs form a small community in Pakistan today. Most Sikhs live in the province of Punjab, a part of the larger Punjab region where the religion originated in the Middle Ages, w ...
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expand ...