Gurdwara Sri Dera Sahib Lahore

Location - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Associated with - Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji

Sikh Artifacts - unknown

Sarovar - None

Sarai - Yes

Gurdwara Sri Dera Sahib Lahore is situated near the Badshahi Masjid. After many days of torture, Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji disappeared into the river Ravi here and re-joined with God.

Muslims began their history of Sikh genocide when they tortured Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji, a pious and holy man who helped others and did much good.

Guru Arjan was allowed to take a bath in the river Ravi, to cool his many burns, by his guards. At the time, the Ravi flowed along the wall of the fort. The Guru's light rejoined Akal Purakh on 30th May 1606.

Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji visited the site of his father's torture in 1619 where he had a memorial rostrum built to commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Arjan. Later Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a small but beautiful Gurdwara built here.

As the Maharaja's Gurdwara had no congregational hall, one was attached to Gurdwara in 1909, after which daily congregations were regularly held. After that a sarai (rooms for visitors) and a marble gate was built along with a Nishan Sahib (flag post).

In 1925 A.D. a local committee was formed to tend to the Gurdwara, which was replaced when in 1927, the SGPC took over the management and started rebuilding the Gurdwara on 21st April 1930. The work was completed on 9th September 1934, including resurfacing the domes in gold. Then the clay areas to each side of the Gurdwara were paved.

The number of Sikhs in daily congregations soon increased necessitating further plans to extend the Gurdwara's capacity. Plans were drawn out, but due to the partition of the country, they could not be accomplished. On 9th September 1947, after all of the hard work on the Gurdwara, Sikhs had to abandon their gurdwara to save their lives.

Prakash and the recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at this Gurdwara now continues daily. Two Singh's render daily service to this Gurdwara. Every year at the occasion of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan (on Shaheedi Jor Mela) Sikhs visit the Gurdwara to pay homage to the great Guru. In November 1996, the Government of Pakistan built a 47 roomed Mian Mir Block for visitors. Guru's langar is served round the clock.

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  Arrest Of Guru Arjan

  A number of factors led to the arrest, trial and torture of Guru Arjan. Emperor Jahangir, a notorious alcoholic, drug addict and womanizer, already hated Guru Arjan for several reasons.



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  Trial Of Guru Arjan

  After Guru Arjan was arrested he was taken to Lahore for a kangaroo court (fake trial). The trial of Guru Arjan was held to give the appearance of a fair and just trial, even though the verdict had in reality already been decided before the trial had begun.



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  Torture Of Guru Arjan

  Jahangir ordered that Guru Arjan to be tortured after the Guru had refused to stop preaching his message of God as started by Guru Nanak.



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  Martyrdom Of Guru Arjan

  Before the arrest, torture, and martyrdom of Guru Arjan, the Sikhs had nothing to do with weapons or violence, as all the Sikh Gurus had taught the message of compassion, love, dedication, hard work, worship of one God, and the commitment to peace and harmony for all the peoples of the world.

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