Kartarpur, Religious town in Punjab, Pakistan
Kartarpur is a settlement on the right bank of the Ravi River in the Shakargarh district of Punjab, roughly 102 kilometers from Lahore. The town sits in a farming plain surrounded by fields and crossed by narrow roads that lead to the central shrine.
Guru Nanak founded the settlement in 1504 and spent the final eighteen years of his life there until his death in 1539. Following his passing, Hindus and Muslims built monuments in his memory, which later vanished due to shifts in the river course.
The complex takes the form of a pentagon with whitewashed walls and marble floors that shine under sunlight. Visitors can watch pilgrims walk barefoot through the halls and gather for prayer.
The corridor allows Indian Sikhs to cross through a border checkpoint without a visa, with passage through security controls on both ends. Visitors should bring comfortable shoes that are easy to remove, as access to the shrine requires bare feet.
Guru Nanak is said to have set up a communal kitchen here where all visitors ate together regardless of caste or religion. This tradition of shared meals continues today in many Sikh shrines.
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