Top 10 Gurudwaras in India
Gurudwaras Literally meaning ‘the doorway to the Guru’, is the Sikh place of worship. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the current guru of Sikhs Guru Granth Sahib is placed.
Some of the Top and prominent Sikh shrines established by the Sikh gurus are.
1. The Golden Temple, Amritsar (Punjab) | Shri Harmandir Sahib Ji
This Gurudwara of Amritsar, Harminder Sahib Ji is also known as Sri Darbar Sahib and Golden Temple. It is famous not only in India but all over the world and is counted among the top sightseeing spots in India.
The gurudwara is constructed with white marble overlaid with genuine gold leaf, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji had covered the upper part with gold. The inverted lotus-shaped dome was covered with 100kg of gold. Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak himself designed and created this central place of worship.
2. Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib, Uttarakhand
Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. This gurdwara is at an altitude of 4000 meters above sea level and closed from October to April due to heavy snowfall in the area. This gurudwara is very beautiful as well as an example of a very good Vastu art.
3. Hazur Sahib Gurudwara, Maharashtra
Hazur Sahib or Hazoor Sahib is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. It is situated on the banks of the Godavari river in Nanded city of Maharashtra. The Gurudwara located in it is called ‘SachKhand’ i.e “region of Truth”.
The inner room of the gurus is called Angitha Sahib. It is believed that the last rites of Guru Gobind Singh were performed at this place in 1708.
4. Gurudwara Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh
Paonta Sahib is dedicated to Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is located in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. At this place, Guru Gobind Singh Ji spent four years of his life and at this place was the composition of Dasam Granth. There is a museum of the gurudwara, which shows the pen and weapons of its time used to use the guru.
5. Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi
It is Delhi’s oldest and historically gurudwara. It is dedicated to the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur. At this place, Guru Teg Bahadur was sentenced to death, when he rejected the proposal to adopt the Islam religion of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
6. Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab
Fatehgarh Sahib is present in the Fatehgarh district of Punjab. It is believed that in the year 1704, Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorar Singh were given the pinch alive in the wall here on the orders of Faujdar Wazir Khan.
This gurdwara was made in memory of his martyrdom. The main feature of the gurus is the specimen of Sikh architecture with white stone structures and a golden dome.
7. Takht Shri Damdama Sahib, Punjab
It is one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism. It is located in Talwandi Sabo village of the south-east, 28 km away from Bathinda, Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed here after fighting against Mughal atrocities Because of this, it is also known as ‘Master of Kashi’.
8. Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib, Himachal Pradesh
Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib is built between the hills of Manali and therefore the view here is very beautiful. It is said that this is the first place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated during his visit. It has been a place both for Hindus and Sikhs as it has many temples and a gurudwara.
9. Gurdwara Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Punjab
Gurudwara Shri Keshghar Sahib is in the city of Anandpur in Punjab. It is said that the town of Anandpur was founded by the 9th Guru Teg Bahadur of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who spent 25 years of his life in the city, added greatly to the city’s size, giving it the new name, “City of Bliss (Anandpur).”
10. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, located in central Delhi, was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh. The eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan resided here which was later converted into a gurdwara in memory of Guru Harkishan Ji.
