The missing Saroops probe and why a unique Punjab shrine is at the centre of a major political storm

The Rasokhana (community kitchen) at the shrine was established by Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib, who was born in 1862 in Bullowal village and was revered as a saintly figure with an extraordinary spiritual reputation. (Express Photo)

Why is Rasokhana Gurdwara in the news?

During the Maghi Mela recently, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that 169 out of the 328 missing Saroops of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib were found at this gurdwara, citing findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government.

The gurdwara management immediately clarified that it had no connection with the missing Saroops . According to the management, 107 of the 169 Saroops were officially issued by the SGPC—79 before 2012—while the remaining 62 belonged to private publishers.

Following Mann’s statement and objections raised by the shrine’s committee, political leaders across parties began visiting the gurdwara, criticising the government’s handling of the issue.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema visited the shrine on Monday evening and said there had been a miscommunication between the SIT and the chief minister regarding the available Saroops. Cheema categorically stated that the 169 Saroops present at the shrine had no link with the missing Saroops case, adding that the investigation into the missing Saroops was still ongoing. He also clarified that no case—either in the past or at present—has been registered against the shrine.

Architecturally, the gurdwara is circular, symbolising equality and inclusiveness. (Express Photo)

Despite these clarifications, the political controversy continued to brew. On Tuesday, the gurdwara management committee held a press conference, announcing a ‘Shukrana Samagam’ on January 25, stating that it was being organised to thank the sangat (followers) and to clearly convey that the shrine had been wrongly dragged into the controversy.

Earlier objections and SGPC’s stand

In the past, the gurdwara had drawn objections from sections of orthodox Sikh bodies, including the SGPC, over its non-conventional religious symbolism and practices. However, in the present episode, the SGPC has stood with the shrine.

Gurudwara committee members said that after inspections and deliberations, the SGPC stated that it found no sacrilege or violation of the sanctity of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, thereby clearing the way for the continuation of normal religious activities.

Who set up the shrine?

The Rasokhana (community kitchen) at the shrine was established by Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib, who was born in 1862 in Bullowal village and was revered as a saintly figure with an extraordinary spiritual reputation. “Educated by a pandit and later by a molvi, Raja Sahib was fluent in at least seven languages and deeply immersed in meditation and service. He rejected worldly authority, including his family’s lambardari—his grandfather Naudha Singh being the lambardar of Mannan-Hana village in Hoshiarpur district—and chose a life of devotion, service and interfaith harmony. Raja Sahib Ji died on August 30, 1940,” a gurudwara management committee member, Jasbir Singh Noorpuri, said.

Wherever Raja Sahib travelled, shrines were established by his followers—including Takhat Sri Raja Sahib (Rehpa), Bangla Sahib (Sujjon), Manji Sahib (Gosal), Dukh Nivaran Sahib (Jhingra) and Rasokhana (Majara Nau Abad).

Why is this shrine different from traditional Sikh gurdwaras?

Unlike traditional Sikh shrines, Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Gurdwara displays images and representations of spiritual figures revered across religions, including all Sikh Gurus, Lord Shiva, Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Guru Ravidas and Baba Shri Chand, alongside martyrs of the country. People from all religions—Sikhs, Hindus and others—visit the shrine.

Architecturally, the gurdwara is circular, symbolising equality and inclusiveness. Its main darbar carries inscriptions reflecting a universalist philosophy, including verses of Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib equating divine presence across religions:

“Tuhi Ram Avtar, tuhi Krishan Murar,

Tuhi Mohammad, tuhi Jesus,

Vyapak samuh tuhi.”

The lines suggest that God is one, known by different names across faiths.

The entrance to the main Darbar displays images of Hindu deities alongside Sikh Gurus and martyrs. The annual Sharad Mela of Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib features a havan (Hindu ritual where offerings are made to a fire) conducted by pandits. The shrine also has peacock-emblem flags symbolising peace, continuous Akhand Path (a Sikh ritual), and a separate complex for the Parkash, where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed and worshipped.

Why are political parties involved?

According to the committee members, the shrine commands a massive and diverse following — estimated at around 50 lakh devotees worldwide, cutting across religious identities. With branches in over 100 countries, 12 major gurdwaras in Punjab, and a strong base in Doaba, it wields significant social influence.

In Punjab’s politically sensitive religious landscape, controversies involving faith institutions quickly turn symbolic, prompting political parties to project themselves as either defenders of tradition or champions of inclusivity—making the shrine a focal point of political messaging.

Massive scale of activities

Spread over nearly 30 acres, the gurdwara houses one of the largest community kitchens in the region, reportedly built by Raja Sahib Ji himself. On Sundays, 8-10 quintals of wheat flour are used for langar, with quantities rising sharply during melas. The gurdwara has four langar halls, including one with a capacity of feeding up to 4,000 people at a time.

An annual three-day mela sees kilometre-long queues, and an expenditure on langar during the mela reportedly exceeds Rs 5 crore, a gurudwara management committee member, Jasbir Singh Noorpuri, told The Indian Express.

Weekly golak (donation box) collections range between Rs 15-20 lakh. The complex also includes a dairy and a flour mill.

Charitable institutions and hospitals

The institution runs two charitable hospitals—one at Majara Raja Sahib and another at Rehpa—each with 50 beds, offering treatment at nominal charges. Funds collected from devotees abroad are routed through a registered trust, overseen by senior medical professionals.

Management and reach

The shrine and its associated institutions are managed by a seven-member committee. Noorpuri said the organisation oversees religious affairs, langar services, hospitals and annual melas through a strong volunteer-driven framework.

“Perhaps the most striking aspect of Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Gurdwara is its congregation—devotees from Sikh as well as non-Sikh backgrounds, including Hindus and others,” Noorpuri said.

As Punjab continues to grapple with questions of religious identity, inclusivity, and orthodoxy, the shrine—rooted in syncretism and mass devotion—seems destined to remain both a spiritual landmark and a political flashpoint.