# Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib (Urdu: ننکانہ صاحب, romanized: Nankāna Ṣāhib; Punjabi: ننکاݨا صاحب (Shahmukhi), romanized: Nankāṇā Ṣāhib) is a city and capital of Nankana Sahib District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, who was born in the city and first began preaching here. Nankana Sahib is among the most important religious sites for the Sikh religion. It is located about 91 km (57 mi) west of Lahore and about 75 km (47 mi) east of Faisalabad. According to the census of 2017 the city has a population of 110,135 inhabitants. Until 2005, it was a part of the Sheikhupura District.

## History

Originally, the locality was founded by a Hindu ruler named Raja Vairat and was originally named Raipur but it was destroyed during the Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent. A later, re-built township on the site of the first settlement was founded during the Delhi Sultanate rule by Rai Bhoi, a Rajput of Bhati stock whose Hindu ancestor had converted to Islam due to the influence of Sufism, and thus was known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi. His great-grand son Rai Bular Bhatti, renamed it as 'Nankana Sahib' after the birth of Guru Nanak. The Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, originally constructed by Sikhs during the Mughal era in around 1600 CE was renovated in 1819–20 CE by Gian-Punjab Jassa Singh Ramgarhia The Sikh Conference of Panjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Peshawar, Kangra and Hazara.
During the Akali movement, on 20 February 1921, Narain Das, the Udasi mahant (clergy) of the gurdwara at Nankana Sahib, ordered his men to fire on Akali protesters, leading to the Nankana massacre. The firing was widely condemned, and an agitation was launched until the control of this historic Janam Asthan Gurdwara was restored to the Sikhs. Again in the 1930s and 1940s the Sikhs added more buildings and more architectural design.

## Geography

Nankana Sahib and it surroundings were formerly a tehsil of Sheikhupura District. In May 2005, the provincial government raised the status of Nankana Sahib to a district as a way of promoting development in the area. The present status is District Nankana Sahib has three tehsils: Nankana Sahib, Shah Kot, and Sangla Hill. Before December 2008, District Nankana Sahib also included Safdarabad Tehsil.
There are plans to construct a 100 acres (40 ha) university as well as hospitals and health care facilities by the district government with mutual interest of local communities and family of Rai Bular.
In 2007, the Pakistan government announced a plan to set up a university on Sikh religion and culture at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. Chairman of Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Gen (R) Zulfikar Ali Khan, said that "The international Guru Nanak University planned at Nankana Sahib would have the best architecture, curricula and research centre on Sikh religion and culture".

## Notable places

* Quba Masjid (A replica of Quba Masjid of Madina)
* Gurdwara Janam Asthan
* Nankana Lake Resort
* Residency of Baba Guru Nanak
* Gurdwara Patti Sahib
* Gurdwara Bal Leela
* Gurdwara Mal Ji Sahib
* Gurdwara Kiara Sahib
* Gurdwara Tambu Sahib
And other historical Gurdwaras of Sikhism.

## Notable people

* Guru Nanak, founder and first of the Sikh Gurus
* Rai Bular Bhatti
* Mohammad Irfan, Pakistani cricketer
* Rai Mansab Ali Khan
* Rai Rashid Ahmed Khan
* Shizra Mansab Ali Khan
* Ganga Ram
* Ijaz Shah
* Babra Sharif, film actor
* Barjees Tahir

## Demographics

* Islam (96.91%)
* Sikhism (1.44%)
* Christianity (1.33%)
* Others (0.32%)
The partition of India and Pakistan significantly changed the demographic composition of Pakistan's cities with the vast majority of Hindus and Sikhs having to leave Pakistan and vice versa for Muslims in India. The 2023 Pakistani Census however showed that while still overwhelmingly Muslim at 97%, there is now a re-established Sikh community in the holy city their founder Guru Nanak was born in.
Data from the 2023 census shows that the city of Nankana Sahib has a Sikh population of 1,875 out of a total population of 130,041. Nankana Sahib is the only city in Pakistan where Sikhs are the largest minority religion comprising just under 1.5% of the population. There is also a significant Christian population of 1,734 in the city making up 1.3% of the population.
The city is overwhelmingly Punjabi speaking, with Punjabi speakers comprising over 96.3% of the population. 2.5% also stated Urdu as their mother tongue.
The average household size in 2023 was 6.3 per household while the 2017-2023 average annual growth rate was 2.82%.

## Education
### Universities/Higher Education Institutes

* Virtual University of Pakistan Nankana Sahib Campus
* Baba Guru Nanak University

### Colleges

* Al-Muarif School & College Nankana Sahib
* Government College of Commerce Nankana Sahib
* Government G.N Degree College, Nankana Sahib
* Government Govt. G.N. Degree College For Women, Nankana Sahib
* Govt College of Commerce Nankana Sahib
* Hira Public Higher Secondary Education System Nanakana Sahib
* Pak Garrison Higher Secondary Education System Nanakana Sahib
* Punjab Group of Colleges Nankana Sahib
* Radiant College Nankana Sahib
* Superior college, Nankana Sahib
* The City Grammar school & College Nankana Sahib
* The Message Campus Nankana Sahib

### Schools

* Dar-e-Arqam Schools
* Allied Schools (Pakistan)
* Hira Public School
* Pak Garrison School