Considered as the 5th largest religion in the world in terms of the followers, Sikhism was founded during the medieval period by sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and the entire religion is based on the discourse, teachings and sermons of Guru Nanak Dev and the nine gurus who followed him. The term Sikhism is derived from the Sanskrit word Sishya which means disciple and hence, Sikh is a follower or disciple of the discipline and the discipline itself came to be known as Sikhism. Gurudwaras are the place of worship for the followers of Sikhism. Today, there are a huge number of Gurudwaras all over the World and each of these has their own significance. As the religion was born in India, there are number of sites for Sikh Pilgrimage travel destinations in India, which are visited by pilgrims from all over the World. Golden Temple , Amritsar Sri Akal Takht Also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib, Golden Temple is one of the most important pilgrimages for the Sikhs. Located in the city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, Golden temple is one of the revered Gurudwaras for Sikhs. It is a symbol of the magnificence and strength of the Sikh people all over the world. Famous for its full golden dome, Harmandir Sahib is named after Hari (God) the temple of God. Sri Guru Arjan Sahib, the fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid by a Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir of Lahore on 1st of Magh, 1645 Bikrmi Samvat (December,1588). Sri Harmandir Sahib is built on a 67 ft. square platform in the centre of the Sarovar (tank). It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. The Darshani Deori (an arch) stands at the shore end of the causeway. The door panels are decorated with artistic style and opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is believed that a dip in the Sarovar will wash away all the sins. The temple is thronged by pilgrims all throughout the year. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib , New Delhi Situated in New Delhi, near Connaught Place, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is one of the prominent sites of Sikh pilgrimage. The devotees and pilgrim from all faiths, regions and religions come to this place to show respect and reverence. The Gurudwara was built in the same way as the palace of Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur who welcomed Sri Guru Harkrishan when he visited Delhi. Both Raja Jai Singh and his chief queen were fascinated by the spiritual powers and religious devotion of the Guru. Hemkund Sahib , Uttarakhand The Hemkund Sahib is situated near the Valley of flowers, at an altitude of 4,329 m above sea level. The holy lake Hemkund is associated with the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa (meaning 'the pure') Panth. It is believed that the guru had meditated on the banks of this holy lake in one of his earlier births. A Gurdwara is located on the vicinity of Lokpal Lake and is considered to be one of the most revered pilgrim sites of the Sikhs. Anandpur Sahib, Punjab Takht Sri KeshGarh Sahib A hamlet situated 80 km from Chandigarh; Anandpur Sahib is an important pilgrimage destination of the Sikhs and houses one of the five Takhts of Sikhism. Anandpur Sahib is also called as 'the holy City of Bliss'. It is located on the lower spurs of the Himalayas surrounded by picturesque natural scenery, with the river Satluj. Anandpur Sahib was founded in the year 1665 by the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, near the ruins of an ancient place, Makhowal. Sri Guru Gobind Singh baptised the first five Sikhs called the Panj Piares, the five beloved ones in 1699 and created the nucleus of the Khalsa in this town, where Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib is built. There are a number of Gurudwaras in the town, which adds to its significance as an important pilgrimage site. Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Bhatinda Takht Sri Damdama Sahib was consecrated by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji with a supernal touch of his holy feet in the year 1705 A.D. Takht Sri Damdama Sahib is the place where the Great Guru took rest and untied his yarn-woven back-belt. This is one among the five Takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, thus making it an important pilgrimage destination for the Sikhs. Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh A sacred town built in the memory of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. Situated on the banks of Yamuna River, Paonta Sahib is a bustling township with growing industries and one of the important holy places for the Sikhs. Paonta Sahib houses the famous Gurudwara where Guru Gobind Singh held court and wrote the major portion of the "Dassam Granth". This Gurudwara attracts a horde of pilgrims from all over the globe. Manikaran Sahib , Himachal Pradesh Another important Sikh pilgrimage in India is Manikaran, which is a hill town ocated in the Parvati Valley along the banks of river Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated at an altitude of 1760 m and is also an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. The Janam Sakhi or the 'Twarikh Guru Khalsa' by Giani Gian Singh mentions about the visit of Guru Nanak Dev to this place. It has been mentioned that accompanied by his disciple Bhai Mardana, the Guru reached Jwalamukhi temple after visiting Kalanaur, Gurdaspur, Dasuya, Triloknath, Palampur and Kangra. The Guru then proceeded towards Mandi and after visiting Chamba and Kulu, he came to Bijli Mahadev. After preaching at all these places Guru Nanak Dev came to Manikaran along with his Five 'Piaras' or followers. A Gurudwara in memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji is built in the town, which attracts the Sikh pilgrims from near and far. The site also houses a hot water spring, which is believed to have curative power and by taking bath in this spring one can get rid of several chronic disease. Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Patna One of the five Takhts of Sikhism and the birthplace of Sri Guru Govind Singh, the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] Sikh Guru, Takht Sri Patna Sahib is one of the important Sikh pilgrimage centre of India. Patna, ancient Patliputra, now capital of Bihar State is respectfully called Patna Sahib by the Sikhs because of its sanctification by sri Guru Nanak Dev, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur and Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The latter was born here during Guru Tegh Bahadur’s tour of eastern Bihar, Bengal and Assam from 1666 to 1670. Patna Sahib is situated on the right bank of the River Ganges. Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Maharashtra One of the five 'takhts' (Seats of Temporal authority) in Sikhism, Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is an important center of Sikh pilgrimage situated on the left bank of River Godavari in in Nanded City of Maharashtra. This is the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji left for his heavenly abode and a Gurudwara has been built on the site. The inner room of the temple is called the Angitha Sahib and is built over the place where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708. The Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is visited by Sikh pilgrims all throughout the year from every nook and corner of the World. Gurudwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib was built to commemorate the martyrdom of two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh who were bricked alive in the year 1704 by Wazir Khan, who was the Fauzdar of Sirhind. It is a complex consisting of several important Gurudwaras, which marks the conquest of the Sikhs in 1710 when under the leadership of Banda Bahadur, the Sikhs ran over the area and demolished the fort built during Balban's rule. In the year 1952, Maharaja Yadvindra Singh of Patiala built the main entrance to the Gurudwara and the historical wall where the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were bricked has been preserved in this Gurudwara Bhora Sahib. Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri and Gurudwara Shahid Ganj are located within the premises of Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib. This is as an important pilgrimage centre of the Sikh. Shahidi Jorh Mela is organized in this Gurudwara every year in the month of December to commemorate the event. Gurdwara Sees Ganj Sahib, Delhi Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib is located in the main area of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. This is the site where the ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the year 1675 AD, for refusing to convert to Islam. This Gurudwara was built in the year 1930 and the trunk of tree under which the Guru was beheaded is also preserved here together with the well from which he took bath while in the prison. Adjacent to the Gurudwara is the Kotwali, where Guru was imprisoned and his disciples were tortured. This is as well one of the important Sikh pilgrimage centre of India. WGJKKWGJKF
