Historic Sikh Gurdwara Linked to Guru Arjan Sahib Reportedly Demolished in Nankana Sahib

LAHORE — Nazrana Times
Report: Ali Imran Chattha
A historic Sikh Gurdwara associated with the visit of Siri Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Sikh Guru, in Village Chitti Jatri, Nankana Sahib District, Punjab, Pakistan, has reportedly been demolished. A haveli now stands at the historical site.
The site is located in Chitti Jatri Village, Nankana Sahib District, Punjab, Pakistan. Its recorded GPS coordinates are 31 degrees 14 minutes 30.2 seconds North and 73 degrees 50 minutes 49.6 seconds East.

The site was recently visited by the Jeevay Sanjha Punjab (JSP) research team led by Professor Dr. Taranjit Singh Butalia, a renowned historian and author who is also Professor of Civil Engineering at The Ohio State University, USA.
The team visited the area to document and locate the historic Gurdwara using pre-Partition Sikh historical records.
The Gurdwara was established to commemorate the visit of Guru Arjan Sahib to the village. Sikh historian Sardar Dhanna Singh Patialavi visited the site in 1933 and recorded details of the Gurdwara in his diary. His record also included a photograph of its newly constructed langarkhana.
According to information gathered by the JSP team, the Gurdwara's Manji Sahib was constructed with small bricks and had a large dome and a spacious verandah. The adjoining langarkhana was constructed with larger bricks.

During the visit, the research team met Rana Mohammad Anwar, who currently lives on a plot immediately behind the former Gurdwara site.
He reportedly recognised the photograph documented by Dhanna Singh Patialavi in 1933 as showing the langarkhana and corroborated several historical details concerning the site.
According to the information provided by him, both the Gurdwara and the langarkhana remained abandoned for many years. They were reportedly demolished approximately two to three years ago.
A structure locally known as Dogran di Haveli now stands at the site.
The JSP research team reportedly identified only one apparent surviving remnant of the historic Gurdwara. It is a decorated old brick incorporated into the boundary wall near the right side of the entrance to the haveli.
Historical records indicate that the langarkhana was constructed during the 1930s by Baba Bibeka Singh. An annual religious fair was also held at the site on 1-2 Asu.
The Sikh community in the area experienced demographic changes during the 1930s following the introduction of canals, which caused surrounding agricultural land to become waterlogged.
Although many Sikh families initially remained in the village, most left the area following the Partition of 1947.
The reported demolition has raised renewed concerns regarding the preservation of historic Sikh religious heritage in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) has been urged to raise the matter with the relevant authorities, investigate the reported demolition and determine the historical and legal status of the site where the present haveli has been constructed.

The Chitti Jatri Gurdwara represents another significant Sikh heritage site in Pakistan reported to have disappeared or been altered. Its case also highlights concerns surrounding Sikh heritage sites that remain vulnerable to loss and the need for systematic documentation and preservation of the country's shared religious and cultural heritage.