Gurdwara Panja Sahibਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪੰਜਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ

Gurdwara Panja Sahib stands in Hasan Abdal, a town in the Attock district of Punjab, Pakistan, about 48 kilometres northwest of Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road. It is one of the most revered Sikh shrines in Pakistan, built around a boulder that devotees believe carries the handprint — panja — of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and a key stop on any journey through the historic gurdwaras of Pakistan.

History and the legend of the handprint

According to Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak Dev Ji reached Hasan Abdal with Bhai Mardana in Baisakh, Samvat 1578 — the summer of 1521 — during his travels. The two sat under a shady tree singing kirtan, and a crowd of devotees gathered. Nearby lived a Muslim saint, Shah Wali Qandhari, who drew water from a spring on the hill above and took offence at the gathering.

Legend says Guru Nanak sent Bhai Mardana to Wali Qandhari three times to ask for water to quench his thirst. Each time the saint refused him rudely, telling him to ask his own Master instead. Mardana returned miserable, saying he preferred death to thirst but would not approach the egoist again.

The Guru told him to repeat the Name of God and drink his fill — then pushed aside a large rock lying nearby, and a pure fountain of water sprang up and flowed endlessly. Mardana drank and was grateful. Meanwhile the Wali's own spring dried up. In rage, Wali Qandhari hurled a huge boulder down from the hilltop at the Guru. Guru Nanak calmly stopped it with his open hand. The rock halted, and the imprint of his palm — his panja — remained on it. Clear spring water still gushes from behind the rock into a large pool.

The sacred spring itself is ancient: the 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang described a holy spring called Elapatra northwest of Taxila, identified with the spring at Panja Sahib. The shrine takes its name from the handprint. Hari Singh Nalwa, the celebrated general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Sikh Empire, named the site Panja Sahib and is credited with building the first gurdwara here. The older structure's walls were once decorated with murals depicting episodes from Guru Nanak's life.

Architecture and the sarovar

The present complex is built in classic Sikh architectural style — white domes edged in gold, arched pavilions, and a high plinth. At its heart sits the sacred boulder bearing the handprint, set beside the spring-fed sarovar whose clear waters pilgrims regard as blessed. Fish swim in the pool beneath the rock. The shrine around the boulder was raised in the style of the Sikh Empire period. An old Hindu temple stands at the rear of the complex, a reminder of the site's layered sacred history.

Religious significance

For Sikhs, Panja Sahib is among the holiest shrines in Pakistan — described during the 2026 Baisakhi gathering as the third holiest place in Sikhism. It embodies two articles of the Sikh spirit at once: the Guru's compassion, which made water flow for the thirsty, and his fearlessness, which stopped the boulder. Pilgrims come to touch the handprint, bathe in or sip the spring water, and hear kirtan where Guru Nanak himself is believed to have sung.

Baisakhi at Panja Sahib

Panja Sahib is the central stage of Baisakhi in Pakistan. Every April, thousands of Sikh pilgrims cross from India through the Wagah border to join the celebrations, whose main ceremony falls on April 14. For Baisakhi 2026, Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi issued more than 2,800 visas; 2,235 devotees arrived at Hasan Abdal in a fleet of 51 buses, received by the district administration with accommodation, food, medical support and security. The programme runs across ten days — Nagar Kirtan processions, Akhand Paath, langar, and Ardas — with pilgrims also visiting Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib and Dera Sahib Lahore. The festival marks both the spring harvest and the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699.

Visiting Panja Sahib: pilgrim information

The gurdwara sits on the GT Road at Hasan Abdal, under an hour's drive from Islamabad, and pairs easily with the Gandhara ruins at nearby Taxila. The shrine is managed by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Visitors of all faiths are welcome: cover the head, remove shoes, dress modestly, and accept the langar meal. October to March brings the most comfortable weather; April brings Baisakhi and its crowds.

Where is Gurdwara Panja Sahib located?

Gurdwara Panja Sahib is in Hasan Abdal, in the Attock district of Punjab, Pakistan — about 48 kilometres northwest of Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road toward Peshawar.

Why is it called Panja Sahib?

Panja means palm or open hand. The shrine is named for the handprint on the boulder, which Sikhs believe Guru Nanak Dev Ji left when he stopped a hurled rock with his hand in 1521.

When is Baisakhi celebrated at Panja Sahib?

The main Baisakhi ceremony at Panja Sahib takes place on April 14 each year, with celebrations running across roughly ten days in mid-April.

Can Indian pilgrims visit Panja Sahib?

Yes. India-based Sikh pilgrims visit every year for Baisakhi on special pilgrim visas issued by Pakistan's High Commission in New Delhi — more than 2,800 were issued for the 2026 festival — entering through the Wagah border.