Website stumbles on forgotten gurdwaras in Pakistan closer to Radcliffe Line than Kartarpur Sahib

Unlike Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is separated from Dera Baba Nanak in India by the Ravi river, Gurudwara Patshahi Chevi is not separated by any river or water channel, and there is a road between Hudiara and the Khalra village in India. The building of Gurdwara Chevi Patshahi is visible from the Nushehra Dhala village in India.

Gurudwara Jhari Sahib is related to the third Guru of Sikhs, Guru Amar Das ji. It is near the village Targey of district Kasur in Pakistan.

Soldiers of the Sikh regiment captured and repaired this shrine during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war. Earlier, a part of the gurdwara was damaged in the same war between India and Pakistan. Partition victims who migrated from India had converted the gurdwara building into their homes.

Gurudwarapedia.com has been mapping historical gurdwaras using geo-tagging to assist Sikh devotees. While geo-tagging, the website developers stumbled on such forgotten gurdwaras close to the Radcliffe Line between India and Pakistan in West Punjab. Such gurdwaras could have been part of India with minor adjustments in the Radcliffe Line, say the people behind Gurudwarapedia.com.

Another gurdwara in memory of the sixth Guru, Gurudwara Ber Sahib, in the village Kharak, was just three miles (4.8 km) from the Attari railways station in India; however, it was only 1.8 kilometres from the Radcliffe Line. Before Partition, a major annual religious festival used to take place here during the winters. There is no trace of the gurdwara building now, though it is mentioned in records.

The building of Gurudwara Chevi Patshahi in the village Pardhani, Lahore, Pakistan.

Another Sikh shrine named Gurdwara Chevi Patshahi in the Pardhani village of Lahore is visible from Nushehra Dhala village in India. It is around one kilometre from the Radcliffe Line. The buildings had become the residence of Partition victims who migrated from the Mewat region of India.

Gurdwara Jhari Sahib is related to the third Guru of Sikhs, Guru Amar Das ji. It is near the village of Targey in the Kasur district in Lahore. The shrine is just 1.5 km from the Radcliffe Line. The dome on the four pillars is the only thing that serves as a reminder of the gurdwara which has no caretaker now. There were historical holy trees in the gurdwara from the era of Guru Amar Das ji and these were present till 1947. The shrine used to host a festival every Baisakhi, an annual festival in April.

“We have been developing a website for historical Sikh gurdwaras only. We went through official records and found the gurdwaras close to the Radcliffe Line. We all know about Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. But many historical gurdwaras left in Pakistan have vanished from the collective memories of the current Sikh generation. These gurdwaras close to the Radcliffe Line further prove how cruel Partition was. There was no logic to keep these gurdwaras in Pakistan,” said Davinder Singh Sadiq, editor at Gurudwarapedia.

“We have been working and are hopeful of finding more such gurdwaras. We will also provide information about how these gurdwaras can be reached so that Sikhs can start visiting. Like the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib corridor, we need more corridors on the Radcliffe Line. It will reduce tension between India and Pakistan and benefit both,” said Karnvir Singh Jhamat, who works on the website.