Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib ننکانہ صاحب ਨਨਕਾਣਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ
Nankana Sahib
Coordinates: 31°27′N 73°42′E / 31.45°N 73.7°E / 31.45; 73.7Coordinates: 31°27′N 73°42′E / 31.45°N 73.7°E / 31.45; 73.7
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Nankana Sahib District
Elevation	187 m (614 ft)
District Council	3 seats
Number of Tehsils	3
Website	www.nankana-sahib.gov.pk

Nankana Sahib (Shahmukhi: ننکانہ صاحب, Gurmukhi: ਨਨਕਾਣਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ), earlier known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs from all over the world.^[1] It is located about 80 kilometers south west of Lahore and about 75 kilometres east of Faisalabad,^[2] with a population of approximately 70,000.^[3] It is also the capital of Nankana Sahib District and Tehsil.

Earlier the township was known as Rai Bhoi di Talwandi and was named as Nankana Sahib after the birth of Guru Nanak Dev. The Janam Asthan Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, originally constructed in around 1600 A.D. was renovated in the year 1819–20 A.D. by Gian-Punjab Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia The Sikh Conference of Panjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Peshawar, Kangra and Hazara.

On February 20, 1921, at Nankana Sahib, Narain Das, a Hindu appointed by the British as the custodian of Nankana Sahib, ordered his men to fire on Akali protesters. The firing was widely condemned, and an agitation was launched until the control of this historic Janam Asthan Gurdwara was restored to the Sikhs.^[4] Again in the 1930s and 40's the Sikhs added more buildings and more architectural design.

The area around Nankana Sahib was formerly a tehsil of Sheikhupura District. In May 2005, the provincial government decided to raise the status of Nankana Sahib to that of a district ^[5] as a way of promoting development in the area.

The development of Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan is one of the numerous projects by Punjab Government. The work of development of Nankana Sahib Resort to host and entertain local and international visitors is almost complete. According to reports, there are plans to construct a 100 Acre University as well as hospitals and health care facilities by the descendents of Rai Bular. ^[6]

In 2007, the Pakistan government announced a plan to set up a university on Sikh religion and culture at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. "The international Guru Nanak University planned at Nankana Sahib would have the best architecture, curricula and research centre on Sikh religion and culture", Chairman of Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Gen (Retd) Zulfikar Ali Khan, said.^[7]

References

1. ^ Historical Gurudwaras:NANKANA SAHIB. Sgpc.net. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
2. ^ Nankana Sahib. Nha.gov.pk. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
3. ^ World Gazetteer estimate for Nankana Sahib. World-gazetteer.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
4. ^ Singh, Roopinder (Wednesday, March 23, 2011). "Bhagat Singh: The making of the revolutionary". The Tribune. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110323/main6.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-23. "Bhagat Singh was a well-read, articulate young man who significantly impacted Indian history and left behind a legacy that even 80 years after his martyrdom is still very much a part of our cultural ethos" 
5. ^ Nankana becomes a district. Dawn.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
6. ^ "Nankana Sahib in Pak to be a recreational village". The Times of India. Sep 27, 2003. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-27/chandigarh/27206273_1_nankana-sahib-sikhs-harpal-singh-bhullar. Retrieved 2011-10-23. 
7. ^ "Pak govt plans university at Nankana Sahib". The Times of India. Apr 17, 2007. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-04-17/pakistan/27871427_1_nankana-sahib-sikh-pilgrims-etpb. Retrieved 2011-10-23. 

External Links

Gurdwara Janam Asthan – Nankana Sahib Part 1