Of Guru Nanak’s town and his teachings

Tribuneindia.com invites contributions to SHAHARNAMA. Share anecdotes, unforgettable incidents, impressionable moments that define your cities, neighbourhoods, what the city stands for, what makes its people who they are. Send your contributions in English, not exceeding 150 words, to shaharnama@tribunemail.com Do include your social media handles (X/ Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

Sukhjit Singh

Updated At : 06:33 AM Aug 14, 2025 IST

Illustration: Lalit Mohan

When I shifted to Delhi for college from Sultanpur Lodhi about 25 years back, it meant introductions about myself and the place I came from. ‘A sleepy little town’ would have defined Sultanpur Lodhi but not done justice to my native place. After a few attempts, I settled on “Sultanpur Lodhi is Sikhism’s Bodh Gaya, Mecca, Jerusalem — the place where Sikhism was founded”.

Very few knew of Sultanpur Lodhi then. Even among Sikhs outside Punjab, the name didn’t lead to an immediate recall. It is only after the 550th celebrations of Guru Nanak’s parkash parab in 2019 that Sultanpur Lodhi came to be better known.

And this sleepy little town comes alive only on Guru Nanak’s parkash parab every year, when sangat converges from nearby places, and volunteers ferry people non-stop in their tractor-trolleys to Gurudwara Ber Sahab. The link road passing by my village is the busiest. Tents for langar are put up along this road, providing sewa 24/7 for two days.

During my childhood, the first (and the only one for a long time) English medium school started in the town in the 80s. It was located opposite Gurudwara Bebe Nanaki. For us, drinking water from Bebe Nanaki’s well was a daily ritual on the way to school. Dropping in the well the bucket attached to the rope, waiting for the sound of the splash and then pulling the levers on the circular drum gave us kids so much joy.

It was also the era of hand pumps. There was one at my home too, and we drank water directly from its spout. Now the well of Bebe Nanaki is dry, and the hand pumps have also vanished, replaced by deep bore wells with submersible motors that fill water tanks at homes, and we drink it after it has been filtered through purifiers. Kali Bein, the rivulet where Guru Nanak took the dip of enlightenment, is now a place for morning/evening walks but not for dips and drinking water.

Every year on parkash parab, when I see ferries bringing devotees, I wonder that Guru Nanak’s town might need boatmen to help the pilgrims across, but if we follow Guru Nanak’s teachings, we can be our own boatmen in the journey called life.

Sukhjit Singh, Sultanpur Lodhi

Of Guru Nanak’s town and his teachings

Sukhjit Singh

Unlock Exclusive Insights with The Tribune Premium