| Monuments in Delhi |
Ashok Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001, India
Reasons to be here –
Religious bliss, spiritual revival and a closure with life!
Entry Fee – Complex entry Free
Timings–
All days of the week: 12:00 AM-11:30 PM
Way to reach –
Situated on the east side intersection of Ashok Road and Baba Kharag Singh Marg in the Connaught Place, New Delhi, a person can take metro till Shivaji Stadium Metro Station and reach the destination via a cab or rickshaw.
Traveller’s Pick – Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, dedicated to Guru Sri Harkishan, the eighth Sikh Guru, has an immense sacred value for Sikh Community. Located in the heart of Delhi i.e. Connaught Place, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib has a notable golden dome with a sculpted bronze cupola and also a tall flagpole called as Nishan Sahib. It is mainly situated at the roundabout following between Ashoka Road and Baba Kharag Singh Marg. It is said that Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was mainly a Bungalow (Haveli) used by Mirza Raja Jai Singh, a well-known military leader of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In its initial days, it was called as Jaisinghpura Palace but later known as Bangla Sahib.
The complex of Gurudwara is quite big and has a community kitchen hall, higher secondary school, charitable dispensary, library, Museum and a multilevel parking. Kitchen of the Gurudwara is commonly known as ‘Langar’ where food haven been served to the devotees throughout the day. The whole atmosphere in the complex remains quite peaceful and holy with Gurbani (devotional music) that played throughout the day. The most attractive feature of the Gurudwara is the ‘Sarovar’ means a pond. The water of Sarovar called as ‘Amrit’ has a very significant value for the devotees. It’s not just the Sikh Community, but people of all religion come to worship the name of God here. While entering into the Gurudwara, every devotee has to cover his or her head properly.
The history of this Gurudwara is quite rich. It is said that during the tenure of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur) in 1664, the Eighth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Harkishan Sahib used to stay here as a guest and later offered treatment to the people suffering from smallpox and cholera. During the process of providing treatment, Guru Harkishan himself suffered from small pox that became the cause of his death. He took his last breath at the age of 7 years on March 30, 1664.
How to Reach Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Reaching Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is quite easy. De-board Delhi metro either at Rajiv Chowk or Patel Chowk and then take a bus or walk around one kilometre to reach this holy place. The nearest railway station is New Delhi.
Nearby Attractions –
Art Gallery – Located in the basement of the Gurdwara, this place showcases numerous paintings depicting historical happening during the Sikh era.
St Peters Cathedral – Another symbol of conviction of human race in the omnipotent and omniscient powers watching over us.
TRAVELER’S ESSENTIALS –
Bring a scarf / chunni to cover your hair (though Gurdwaras do have a basket with headcovers you can borrow). And leave your shoes on the counter outside the premises.