Chandigarh: Visitors prefer gurdwara on premises

The gurdwara is being run by 96-year-old Baba Labh Singh of Anandpur Sahib. His grandson Sukhjeet Singh said over 3,000 people stay on the premises every night during this season.

Visitors prefer gurdwara, vistors perfer gurdwara over sarai, PGI, chandigarh news, Indian Express

PGI visitors at the gurdwara on Friday. (Photo by Jaipal Singh)

A large ground floor hall with 85 double-deck beds arranged neatly in four rows. Belongings kept on the beds show that all of them have been taken. The hall doesn’t belong to any sarai, but a gurdwara, located just 200 m from new PGI sarai on the hospital premises, which has been giving shelter to many patients and attendants this winter.

Not only food, that is available 24X7, is free, stay also is, unlike the sarai.

The gurdwara is being run by 96-year-old Baba Labh Singh of Anandpur Sahib. His grandson Sukhjeet Singh said over 3,000 people stay on the premises every night during this season.

Though the hall provides bed facility to only 170 people, others sleep on carpets spread across the floor.

As this hall cannot accommodate the winter rush, carpets are spread out in the first floor hall as well. The gurdwara also provides a limited number of quilts and bedding.

“People don’t go to the sarais because of their high daily rental. Most of those who come to PGI for their treatment are poor people and can’t afford paid accommodation. Here, it is convenient for them as they get the boarding and lodging free,” Sukhjeet said.

He added for the last one week, the situation is such that they don’t even have place to walk in the halls because people lie down on the floor too.
At the fag end of the open hall on the ground floor, there are six washrooms each for women and men. There is a separate langar enclosure.
Caretaker Sohan Singh who has been working at the gurdwara for the last 20 years said that 36 staff members carry out seva turn-by-turn. Langar is served 24 hours. Attendants can even take away the langar for the patients.

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“We have our own ambulance as well to ferry patients in case an emergency arises during night,” he said.

Janak Raj, who is getting his 12-year-old son treated at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for his knee problem, said he had been staying here for around two months.

“I don’t have enough money. We did go to the new sarai building to see if we could get a place, but we couldn’t afford it. The money I would spend there is better used for medicines required for my son daily,” Raj said.

Rajdeep Kaur, who had come all the way from Jalandhar, said her mother was being treated at the PGI for a kidney problem. “The location of the sarai didn’t suit us. This gurdwara is just near the chemists and food is also available throughout the day,” she said.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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