Sikh Shrines in Pakistan

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About the Book This book is not merely meant to present a study of the architectural genius of the followers of Sikhism which has its roots in the areas comprising West Pakistan. The author traverses a long distance in between GURU NANAK, the founder of Sikhism and GURU GOVIND SINGH, the last Guru of Sikh community. The author clarifies to the complete satisfaction of the reader how Sikhism like Buddhism Jainism and other religions which spring in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent became the product of the reaction against the dominant Brahmanism and its rigid caste system. The book draws a clear picture of the positive influence of Islam on Sikhism which had spread to Iraq, Turkistan, Persia and Afghanistan and came into contact with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and above all neo-Platonic philosophy by the time of the inception of the Sikh religion. A minutely narrated description on Sikh community's friendly association with Mughal empire and how it turned out to be a bitter political conflicts between the both makes the book more meaningful.

Preface Soon after the independence, the Department of Archaeology undertook a survey of all the important monuments protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act belonging to pre-historic, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim periods of our history. A survey of such other monuments which inspite of their historical importance and architectural merits were not protected was also carried out. During the course of this survey, it was observed that barring a few, Sikh monuments, being of recent origin, were not listed for protection in the past.

Introduction In this memoir an attempt has been made to describe briefly the important Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan. These Shrines fall into two distinct categories: (1) those specifically associated with the Sikh Gurus and (2) those held sacred for other reasons. Each category of the Shrines has been arranged district wise in alphabetical order. Brief life sketches of the Gurus are given before the description of Shrines associated with them. A consolidated list of all the Shrines has also been given at the end.

The Sikh Gurudwara are more than a place of worship. They serve as schools, a meeting place and a rest-house for travellers in addition to enshrining the Granth Sahib. The Gurudwara are, as such, integral part of the Sikh religious and social life. After independence, the responsibility and care for proper maintenance and repair of Sikh Shrines fell on the Ministry of Rehabilitation and the Department of Archaeology. This necessitated the undertaking of a special survey of all the Sikh Shrines in West Pakistan.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages