NANKANA SAHIB,SHAKHUPURA,PUNJAB,PAKISTAN

Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib (Shahmukhi: ننکانہ صاحب, Gurmukhi: ਨਨਕਾਣਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ), was earlier known as 'Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi' is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab named after the first Guru of the Sikhs Guru Nanak Dev. Located at 31°26'51N 73°41'50E - about 80 kilometers south west of Lahore and about 75 kilometres East from Faisalabad, with a population of approx. 60,000 , it is also the capital of Nankana Sahib District and Tehsil. Because Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism, it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs from all over the world.

Famous Villages in the District

As the villages constitute the main part of the district, there are many famous villages in it. Some of them are as under: Rattuana, Kali Bair, Nabi Pur Piran, Waseer Pur, Abian Wala, Kot Hussain, Syed Wala, Chookhian Wala, etc.

Brief history

About thirty miles south-west of the city of Lahore, the capital of the Punjab district of Pakistan. Called Talwandi in the 15th century, this town was surrounded by a deep Bar (a raised forest tract) in the centre of Punjab (the Land of 5 Rivers). Today the town is surrounded by a broad expanse of agricultural vegetation that wears a cheerful appearance through each season. The jal or arak tree Salvadora persica, (the toothbrush tree) predominates, but there is also found the phulahi (Acacia modesta) and the jand (Prosopis spicigera). The wild deer, though not seen anymore, were seen occasionally to appear startled at the travellers who disturbed the solitude of its domain, and the hare and the partridges used to cower cautiously among the thickets, deprecating molestation.

Talwandi is said to have been originally built by a Hindu king called Raja Vairat. It was sacked and destroyed by fire and crowbar. The Punjab was parcelled out to Muslim warrior chiefs in exchange for peace by the sovereigns of Delhi (Delhi Sultanate). One of these chiefs was Rai Bhoi Bhatti, a Muslim of the Bhatti Rajput tribe. Rai Bhoi along with his son salvaged Talwandi and restored it and built a fort on the summit of the tumulus, in which he lived the secure and happy ruler of his estate with several thousand acres of cultivated land, and a boundless wilderness. Nankana was subsequently known then as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi (orRai Bhoi's Talwandi). After Rai Bhoi's death, his heritage descended to his only son Rai Bular Bhatti, who governed the land and town at the birth and during the youth of Nanak.

During Rai Bular's rule, Talwandi did not share the tumults and excitements of the outer political world. Rai Bular was a 'gentle giant', towering in stature, but quiet and solitary. Talwandi became a reflection of his personality. It was a quiet place for the training of a prophet , a religious teacher who lead his countrymen to the sacred path of truth, freeing their minds from the superstitions of ages. In this retreat was born Guru Nanak, the founder of theSikh religion. His was born on the third day of the light half of the month of Baisakh (April–May) in the year 1526 of the Vikramaditya era, corresponding to A.D. 1469.

Now people of many casts are living here but most dominant are Gujjars because they are well educated and financially very strong. They support political candidates in the region.

Holy places

Nankana Sahib being most sacred Sikh place; the location of the birth of the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak is one of the fastest growing towns in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a popular place for Sikhs from all over the world. At the time of Guru Nanak's birth the town was called Rai Bhoe's Talwandi and was also referred to as Raipur. Rai Bular Bhatti was the ruler of this area and Baba Nanak's father was Rai Bular's employee. The divine qualities of Baba Nanak were first discovered by his sister Nanaki andRai Bular Bhatti. Rai Bular gifted approx. 20,000 acres (81 km²) of land all around the city of Talwandi to Guru Nanak and the town began to be called Nankana Sahib. The town currently has nine gurdwaras including the Gurdwara Janam Asthan which marks the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev. Each of the gurdwaras is related with important events in Guru Nanak's life. Annually, approximately 30,000 Sikh pilgrims visit the town, with about 15,000 gathering during the peak season around the birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak.

In 2006 a bus service between the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in India and Nankana Sahib was inaugurated by Manmohan Singh, India's Prime Minister, who himself is a Sikh.

Administration

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 as a way of promoting development in the area.

Development

The provincial government has developed plans to develop Nankana Sahib with various projects including a rest house for Sikh pilgrims, a new hotel, a shopping mall, a housing scheme, a modern hospital and a roadlink to the Lahore and Faisalabad dual-Carriage way.