Kartarpur, Pakistan Explained

Kartarpur, Pakistan
Native Name:کرتار پور
Settlement Type:Town in Pakistan
Mapsize:150 px
Coordinates:32.08°N 75.01°W
Pushpin Map:Pakistan#Pakistan Punjab
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Pakistan
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1: Punjab
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Narowal
Subdivision Type3:Tehsil
Subdivision Name3:Shakargarh
Population As Of:1998
Elevation M:155
Area Code Type:Calling code
Timezone1:PST
Utc Offset1:+5
Founder:Guru Nanak

Kartarpur (Panjabi; Punjabi: {{nq|کرتار پور, ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ; Urdu: {{Nastaliq|کرتارپور) is a town located, just 102 km from Lahore city in the Shakargarh Tehsil, Narowal District in Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Ravi River, it is said to have been founded by the first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, where he established the first Sikh commune.

Geography

Kartarpur is located at 32.0869°N 75.0167°W. It is located in Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It has an average elevation of 155 metres (511 feet).

History

The first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, founded Kartarpur in 1504 AD on the right bank of the Ravi River with money donated by Karori, a wealthy Khatri convert. [1] The name Kartarpur means "city of Creator or God", from Punjabi "ਕਰਤਾਰ" (Kartar) meaning 'Creator' or 'Lord of Creation' and "ਪੁਰ" (Pur) meaning 'City'. Here all people, irrespective of their religion or caste, lived together, representing the first 'Sikh commune'. After his travels for about 20 years, Guru Nanak settled in Kartarpur along with his family. Following his death in 1539, Hindus and Muslims both claimed him as their own, and raised mausoleums in his memory with a common wall between them. The changing course of the Ravi River eventually washed away the mausoleums. But Guru Nanak's son saved the urn containing his ashes and reburied it on the left bank of the river, where a new habitation was formed, representing the present day Dera Baba Nanak.[2] After Nanak's passing, the early Sikh community's headquarters was shifted from Kartarpur to the village of Khadur by his successor, Guru Angad.[3]

At the location Guru Nanak is believed to have died, the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib was built. It is considered to be the second holiest site for the Sikh religion.

During the 1947 partition of India, the region got divided across India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Line awarded the Shakargarh tehsil on the right bank of the Ravi river, including Kartarpur, to Pakistan, and the Gurdaspur tehsil on the left bank of Ravi to India.

Kartarpur Corridor

See main article: Kartarpur Corridor. On 9 November 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the opening of a cross-border Kartarpur Corridor allowing Indian Sikhs to visit Pakistan without a visa.[4] On the same day, the first Jatha (batch) of over 500 Indian pilgrims visited the shrine thanking Prime Minister Khan for "respecting the sentiments of India" towards the shrine across the border that marks the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.[5] [6]

Under the leadership of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, the first Jatha traveled through the corridor into Pakistan to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur[7] which included former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[8] The delegation also included ex-PM's wife, Gursharan Kaur, Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sunny Deol, and 150 Indian parliamentarians.[9]

Demography

The population is primarily Punjabi. Majority of peoples belongs to Gurjars, Rajputs and Jats casts.After the Partition of Punjab in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while many Muslim refugees from India settled down in Kartarpur.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Chhabra, G. S. . Advanced study in History of the Punjab vol.1 . 1960 . 68 . English.
  2. Web site: Guru Nanak Sahib . Sgpc.net . 10 February 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120218023855/http://www.sgpc.net/gurus/gurunanak.asp . 18 February 2012 .
  3. Singh . Pashaura . 2021-04-03 . Ideological basis in the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal: exploring the concept of Guru-Panth . Sikh Formations . en . 17 . 1–2 . 3–4 . 10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 . 234146387 . 1744-8727 . The second Guru, Angad (1504–1552), established a new Sikh center at his native village Khadur because Guru Nanak’s sons made the legal claim as rightful heirs of their father’s properties at Kartarpur. It confirmed an organizational principle – that the communal establishment at Kartarpur should not be considered a unique institution, but rather a model that could be cloned and imitated elsewhere. Similarly, the sons of Guru Angad inherited the establishment at Khadur, forcing his successor to move to Goindval (‘City of Govind’, an epithet of God) on the right bank of the river Beas..
  4. News: 'This is the beginning': PM Imran inaugurates Kartarpur Corridor on historic day. Siddiqui. Naveed. 9 November 2019. Dawn.
  5. Web site: Kartarpur corridor: PM Modi thanks PM Imran Khan during inauguration of the Integrated Check Post. gulfnews.com. en. 17 November 2019.
  6. Web site: Kartarpur Corridor opening a historic moment. Gulf News. en. 11 November 2019.
  7. Web site: Akal Takht chief to lead first jatha. 8 November 2019. Hindustan Times. en. 10 November 2019.
  8. News: Kartarpur corridor's opening to 'enormously improve' India-Pakistan ties: Manmohan Singh. 9 November 2019. Times of India.
  9. News: Kartarpur corridor: India pilgrims in historic visit to Pakistan temple. 9 November 2019. BBC News.