Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib 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 the most important religious site for the Sikh religion. It is located about west of Lahore and about 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 Maharaja Ranjit Singh 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 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
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 2017 Pakistani Census however showed that while still overwhelmingly Muslim at 97.2%, there is now a re-established Sikh community in the holy city their founder Guru Nanak was born in. Though Sikhs were not included in the 2017 census, (but included in upcoming 2023 Census results) it can be estimated the large majority of the 'Any other religion' category which numbered over 1,500 individuals are Sikhs comprising 1.4% of Nankana Sahib's population. There is also a significant Christian community in the city comprising 1.2% of the population. Hindus and Ahmadis both represent about 0.1% of the population.
Education
Universities/Higher Education Institutes
Virtual University of Pakistan Nankana Sahib Campus
Baba Guru Nanak University
Colleges
Government G.N Degree College, Nankana Sahib
Government College of Commerce Nankana Sahib
Government Govt. G.N. Degree College For Women, Nankana Sahib
Pak Garrison Higher Secondary Education System Nanakana Sahib
Punjab Group of Colleges Nankana Sahib
Radiant College Nankana Sahib
The Message Campus Nankana Sahib
Superior college, Nankana Sahib
The City Grammar school & College Nankana Sahib
Govt College of Commerce Nankana Sahib
Al-Muarif School & College Nankana Sahib
Schools
Dar-e-Arqam Schools
Allied Schools (Pakistan)
Pak Garrison School
See also
Sikhism in Pakistan
Gurdwara Janam Asthan
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur
Harmandir Sahib
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
References
Cities in Punjab (Pakistan)
Sikh places
Sikhism in Pakistan
Populated places in Nankana Sahib District
Populated places in Punjab, Pakistan
Guru Nanak Dev
Memorials to Guru Nanak
Nankana Sahib District