Kartarpur Corridor – Know about Gurdwara Darbar Sahib

Kartarpur corridor plays an important role in the relationship between India and Pakistan. It is not an ordinary corridor but a purposed one between India and Pakistan that would grant access to the shrine of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in 2019.

If Kartarpur corridor opens, the devotees from India would easily visit the Gurdwara Darwar Sahib at Kartarpur in Narrowal district, Pakistan.

Recently Navjot Singh Sidhu visited Pakistan to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan. He attended the event as a friend and not a politician as the two had been friends for long and played many cricket matches together.

Navjot told after the event to the media, “I wasn’t expecting this, but Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa told me they had been considering to open Kartarpur corridor on the occasion of 550th birthday anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. I was surprised by his words and hugged him for that. General Bajwa Sahab hugged me and said ‘We want peace’. So, let’s swim in a blue ocean and shun red ocean.”

In 2000, Pakistan proposed to construct a corridor joining Dera Baba Nanak located in the Gurudaspur district of the Indian state of Punjab to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. But in May 2017, India rejected any such plans saying no such corridor would be made. In September, 2018 Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhary opened this corridor visa-free to the Indian Sikh community. This was highly appreciated by Navjot Singh Sidhu and he reciprocated it by thanking his friend Imran Khan.

History of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur

The Gurdwara is very significant and holds emotional and religious values as well, as it is built at the resting place of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak Sahib spend two decades here after completing his missionary work, and died here on 22 September, 1539. He made a Sikh community also in the area.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is located in Pakistan. It is at a distance of 120 km from Lahore, and is three km from the India-Pakistan border. Due to this, this is very sensitive place and is always a topic of debate always. It is located at the sides of River Ravi.

Originally, the Maharaja of Pakistan, Sardar Bhupinder Singh donated Rs. 1,35, 600 for the construction of present building. Later on, the Government of Pakistan restored the building in 1995 incurring all the expenses involved in the repaiR.