Gurdwara is the religious place for Sikhs. All Gurdwaras have the holy book of Sikhs “Guru Granth Sahib Ji” placed in it which is the current guru of the Sikh religion. The origin of Sikhism and Gurdwaras started from the holy city of Amritsar, Punjab and now there are a large number of Gurdwaras all over the world where people of all religions visit and worship. Here is a list of the 7 most famous Gurdwaras in the world.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib
The word “Bangla” means palace and here it refers to the palace of Raja Jai Singh in which the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji stayed while on his visit to Delhi in 1664. He cured diseases like smallpox, chicken pox and cholera which were an epidemic those days with sacred water. That water now forms a “sarovar” which is present in the centre of the Gurdwara and people take a dip in it to remove all bodily and mental dirt. There is also a famous museum in this Gurdwara which depicts the great Sikh history.
Gurdwara Ber Sahib
Gurdwara Ber Sahib is named so because of the Ber tree which was planted over here by the first Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Now this Ber tree has grown into a huge tree and the Gurdwara is situated in Kartarpur, Punjab. According to the Sikh history, Guru ji stayed over this place for 14 years, 9 months and 13 days. He used to bathe in the river Kali Bein, also known as Kali Beri, and would meditate for hours. But one day he disappeared while having a bath and returned after 3 days. This was when the Guru Ji decided to begin preaching Sikhism.
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Gurdwara
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Gurdwara situated in Assam, is a historic Gurdwara constructed to mark the visit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Assam in the year 1505. While Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited this city, he met Shrimanta Shankardeva, the founder of Mahapuruxiya Dharma in Assam. This also deepens this place’s importance. To mark the martyrdom of Guru Ji, every year in December, many Sikh devotees assemble over here and they call the festival Shahidee Guru Parv.
Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib
Hemkund, also pronounced as Hemkunt stands for Hem – ice and Kund – bowl. The Gurdwara situated in Uttrakhand is 15000 feet above the sea level in the Himalayan range is a famous center of pilgrimage for not just Sikhs but thousands of devotees of all religions. According to the autobiographic account of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, he meditated over this place in his previous birth. This shrine is regarded as an epitome of all the principles the Sikh religion believes in.
Gurdwara Bhatta Sahib
While traveling over Chandigarh highway to Kulu and Kangra valley, in village Kotla Nihang, Ropar, is where one can see this Gurdwara located. History tells that when the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was returning from Anandpur after winning the battle of Bhangani in 1745, he visited this place and asked the laborers working over there for a place to rest. Since there was no other place, the laborers pointed towards a burning kiln.
Gurdwara Sri Keshgarh Sahib
Often referred as Gurdwara Anandpur Sahib, this Gurdwara is the main shrine of the holy city of Anandpur (the City of Bliss) Sahib. This city was founded by ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and is a home to many Gurdwaras. Gurdwara Sri Keshgarh Sahib is famous and of great importance since it is also one of the five Takhats and a seat of authority for the Sikhs. The shrine is located in the center of the city which is around 95km north-west of Chandigarh.
Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib
The Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib is known for its lovely scenic beauty as it is situated in the mountains of Manali. Historically the Gurdwara has enough significance as the first Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is known to have first visited this place in 1574 along with his disciples Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala. This place is considered as the first place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated through his journey and he is also known to perform few miracles over here.
