Kartarpur

Kartarpur is a town in Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the site of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, one of Sikhism’s most sacred shrines, and the burial place of Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith.

Geography and significance: Kartarpur lies on the eastern bank of the Ravi River near the border with India, opposite the Indian town of Dera Baba Nanak. The two sites are connected by the Kartarpur Corridor, a 4.2-kilometer passage that allows visa-free travel for Indian pilgrims to visit the gurdwara.

History: Guru Nanak established a settlement at Kartarpur in the early 16th century, where he preached and lived until his death in 1539. The shrine at Kartarpur has long been venerated by Sikhs as a place of residence and death for Nanak. After the 1947 partition, the area became part of Pakistan, and the shrine continued to serve pilgrims from Pakistan and abroad.

Corridor and contemporary significance: In 2019, Pakistan and India opened the Kartarpur Corridor, linking Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur to facilitate pilgrimage without a visa. The project aimed to foster cross-border religious contact and tourism while improving infrastructure around the site. Today, the gurdwara remains a focal point of Sikh religious heritage and is administered by local gurdwara committees in coordination with government authorities.