Gurdwara Dera Sahibਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਡੇਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ

Gurdwara Dera Sahib stands in Lahore, Pakistan, opposite the great Lahore Fort, on the spot where the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, is believed to have attained martyrdom in 1606. It is one of the most sacred Sikh shrines in Pakistan, and a key stop in our guide to Gurdwaras in Pakistan.

History: the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, 1606

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606), the fifth Guru of Sikhism, was the first Sikh martyr. He compiled the Adi Granth, the first version of the Sikh scripture, and oversaw the building of Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. His growing influence drew the suspicion of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, who had the Guru arrested in 1606.

The Guru was brought to Lahore and subjected to days of severe torture; traditional accounts describe a burning hot plate and boiling sand poured over his body. On the fifth day, after the intercession of the Muslim mystic Mian Mir, he was permitted to bathe in the Ravi river, which then flowed beside the Lahore Fort. He entered the water and did not reappear, and a Mughal search party could not retrieve him. Sikhs observe his martyrdom day (Shaheedi Divas) every year.

The torture itself took place at a site inside Lahore's walled city, commemorated by the now-defunct Gurdwara Lal Khoohi. Dera Sahib marks the spot on the riverbank where the Guru is believed to have disappeared into the Ravi.

Architecture and the Lahore Fort setting

The gurdwara stands just outside Lahore's Walled City, facing the Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate) of the Lahore Fort. It belongs to a remarkable ensemble of monuments that includes the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Hazuri Bagh quadrangle, the Badshahi Mosque and the Tomb of Iqbal. The main shrine, built in the Sikh architectural style, carries a gilded dome, and its interior is noted for old frescoes and murals depicting Sikh history.

Religious significance

For Sikhs, Dera Sahib is a shrine of sacrifice, also called Dera Sahib Patshahi Panjvin, the shrine of the fifth Guru. Pilgrims gather here to recite hymns from Guru Granth Sahib Ji and to remember the Guru's steadfastness under suffering. The martyrdom anniversary draws hundreds of pilgrims from Pakistan and India each year, with langar served to all visitors.

The Sikh Empire era

Guru Hargobind Ji, the Guru's son and successor, had a memorial (a Thara Sahib, or platform) built at the site in 1619 when he visited Lahore. The present gurdwara building with its gilded dome dates to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 19th century, with further additions made up to Partition. Before 1947 the shrine held 150 acres of land in Nandipur village of Daska Tehsil and a house in Chuna Mandi, Lahore.

Restoration and expansion: 2018 to 2022

In recent years the gurdwara has seen its most serious restoration since the Sikh Empire era. In November 2018, The Express Tribune reported that nearly 80 percent of a major renovation was complete, with special stone imported from India and Muslim, Hindu and Christian artisans working side by side on the project. The Evacuee Trust Property Board, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and volunteers from India collaborated on the work, and officials said the old building itself was left untouched while a new porch and a basement were added around it.

A second phase followed in 2022. According to Zameen News, the expansion added a langar khana in the basement, an elevated platform in the basement to fortify the ground floor housing the diwan hall, and a new prayer hall on the ground floor, along with small domes and white marble tiling. The board expected the work to finish by the end of December 2022, and signed an agreement with the National College of Arts, the Walled City of Lahore Authority and the Punjab Archaeology Department to preserve the shrine for the long term. Officials said the completed complex would accommodate 2,500 to 3,000 pilgrims at a time.

Visiting: pilgrim information

The gurdwara is easy to reach in central Lahore, next to the Badshahi Mosque. Visiting is permitted to local and visiting Sikhs; all others need special permission from Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board. Sikh pilgrim groups (jathas) visiting Pakistan regularly include Dera Sahib in their itinerary, often together with the neighbouring Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Why is Gurdwara Dera Sahib important?

It marks the spot in Lahore where Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr, attained martyrdom in 1606.

Where exactly is Gurdwara Dera Sahib?

Just outside Lahore's Walled City, facing the Elephant Gate (Hathi Pol) of the Lahore Fort, beside the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and near the Badshahi Mosque.

Who built Gurdwara Dera Sahib?

A memorial was first raised by Guru Hargobind Ji in 1619; the present gilded-domed building dates to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 19th century.

When is the best time to visit Gurdwara Dera Sahib?

June, when the Shaheedi Jor Mela marks the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The Evacuee Trust Property Board says thousands of worshippers from around the world, including India, arrive for the observance each year, with the number growing annually. The restored complex now houses 2,500 to 3,000 pilgrims at a time, so the shrine is far better equipped for the crowds than it was before the 2018 and 2022 works.

Can tourists visit Gurdwara Dera Sahib?

Sikh pilgrims may visit freely; other visitors need special permission from Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board.