Lahore, A historic gurdwara in Pakistan’s Lahore reopened for religious worship on Sunday after remaining closed since the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947, ending a 79-year hiatus.
Overwhelmed by the honour of hosting the Guru, Bhai Jiwan converted his house into a gurdwara. The gurdwara is also associated with Bhai Bidhi Chand, a Sikh religious preacher and military commander, who stayed there during his two visits to Lahore to retrieve horses seized by the then Mughal governor. Devotees had brought the horses as offerings to Guru Hargobind Sahib. He then returned them to Guru Hargobind Sahib.
He said more than 50 gurdwaras across Pakistan were undergoing renovation as part of efforts to preserve Sikh religious heritage and facilitate pilgrims.
Speaking at the ceremony, Arora said the restoration of the historic shrine was complete, and it was now open for religious worship by the Sikh community. Mushtaq said the restoration and reopening of the gurdwara aimed to provide better worship facilities to the Sikh community while preserving Lahore’s historical and religious heritage for future generations. Guru Hargobind Sahib accepted an invitation from the local Sikh congregation, or Sangat, and stayed in Lahore for three days at the residence of Bhai Jiwan, a devotee, according to Sikh historical accounts. Bhai Bidhi Chand recovered the horses in separate missions, disguising himself as a grass seller and an astrologer, according to Sikh historical accounts.
Minorities Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Evacuee Trust Property Board Secretary Nasir Mushtaq and other officials also attended the reopening ceremony on Sunday.
