Pak. to safeguard land tilled by Guru Nanak
24, Mar 2019
Prelims level : Bilateral Relation
Mains level : GS – IIBilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
The Pakistan government has decided to keep 30 acres of land around the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara free of construction.
Gurudwara Darbar Sahib
- It is 16th century Gurdwara located on the banks of the river Ravi in Shakargarh in Narowal district of Punjab province of Pakistan.
- It is located about 3 to 4km from Indo-Pak border in Pakistan in Punjabwas established by the first Sikh Guru in 1522.
- It is important for Sikhs as Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism and its first guru had assembled Sikh community and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539.
Kartarpur Corridor
- It will road link that will connect India’s border district of Gurdaspur with historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
- It purpose to let Sikh pilgrims visit holy shrine without visa and to help them walk across and come back without having to secure visa.
- Indian side of corridor will start from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district and extends upto International border between India and Pakistan.
- The corridor will be developed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and will be funded by the Union Government.
- The project corridor is 4 lanes with service road and will encompass all other appropriate amenities needed by pilgrims while visiting the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
- It will help to boost tourism and people to people contact between both countries as more pilgrims will visit holy shrine throughout the year between two countries.
Guru Nanak Dev – Guru from 1469 to 1539
- Guru Nanak Dev, first of the 10 gurus, founded the Sikh faith, introducing the concept of one God.
- He started the institution of Guru Ka Langar. Langar is the term in the Sikh religion refers to the common kitchen where food is served to everyone without any discrimination.
- He emphasized the equality of women and rejected the path of renunciation and he rejected the authority of the Vedas.
- He was the contemporary of Mughal emperor – Babur.