Guru Nanak: Teachings and Architectural Legacy in Pakistan

The Sikh heritage is spread all over Pakistan and enriches the urban environments with beautiful gurdwaras, smadhis, havelis, gardens and garden pavilions. The Sikh also left their mark on the Mughal forts in Lahore and Sheikhupura. The Sikh architecture is an amalgamation of Hindu and Mughal architecture with an inspiration from the art of Rajput pahari. Although the Sikh art have been discussed by a number of scholars, the architecture of the buildings have never been documented. Similar to other historical monuments these structures have also suffered ravages of time. In recent years the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Government of Pakistan, has taken special interest to preserve this important heritage. The best example is the Gurdwara Kartarpur, which is being developed for the large Sikh community so that they can visit it with convenience. The Shrine is located by the River Ravi close to Narowal and Shakargarh, Pakistan, close to the border with India. During the lifetime of Guru Nanak, the Governor of the area, Duni Chand met with Guru Nanak at Pakhoke and granted him agricultural land on the right bank of river Ravi. On the Guru’s acceptance of the land he decided to settle there and a small building or hut was constructed. Kartarpur thus became the first Sikh spiritual center. There is a reference in the historical books that Guru formally laid the foundation of Kartarpur on Magh 13, 1572 Bikrmi year [1515AD]. Apart from Duni Chand, Guru’s disciple Doda was also helpful.The gurdwara was built to commemorate the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, settled after his missionary work. He assembled a Sikh community there, and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. The gurdwara is built where Guru Nanak is said to have died. The shrine is said to house the last copies of the original Guru Granth Sahib. This publication is a step forward in bringing the Sikh heritage to the wider audience across the world. For better preservation a full documentation of the Sikh heritage in the form of plan, elevation, and decorative details of the historical structures is necessitated. Many historic residences have been demolished only to be replaced with modern structures. Those that remain must be preserved. The haveli at Badana near Wagha is the finest monument in fair face and cut, as well as in dressed brick work, and Khem Singh haveli at Kalar Sayedan near Rawalpindi is one of the finest examples of portrait art. A large number of gardens at Kunjah, Eminabad and in Alipur Chatta have vanished or are in a bad state of preservation. It is our hope that this publication will open new avenues towards documentation and research in this chapter of history of architecture. Read more