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Nearby

Nankana Sahib from Jaranwala

Guru Nanak's birthplace is about 30 km from Jaranwala by road, at the far end of the Jaranwala-Nankana Road.

By road from Jaranwala
About 30 km
Faisalabad to Jaranwala
About 35 km
District
Nankana Sahib, since 2005
People (2023)
130,041

Sources: road length from Wikipedia's Jaranwala-Nankana Road article; Faisalabad distance, district and population from Wikipedia's Jaranwala and Nankana Sahib articles. Full links are at the bottom of this page.

Directions in Google Maps More places near Jaranwala

Nankana Sahib

Guru Nanak's Birthplace

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born here in 1469. The town was then called Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, and it later took his name.

Gurdwara Janam Asthan stands at the place where he is believed to have been born, and it is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism. The present gurdwara was built by Ranjit Singh in the 19th century. The Government of Punjab lists it as a Protected Heritage Monument, and it is managed by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.

Nankana Sahib was part of Sheikhupura district until 2005, when it became the headquarters of a district of its own.

The Jaranwala connection

One Road, One Shared History

The road

The Jaranwala-Nankana Road runs for about 30 km, from Islampura in Jaranwala to Nankana, and is maintained by the Punjab Highways Department. Coming from Faisalabad, the first 35 km or so are the Faisalabad-Jaranwala Road.

Lyallpur district and 1921

Before 1947 Jaranwala was in Lyallpur district, where the Sikh population tripled between 1901 and 1941 as the canal colony filled (see who lived here). On 20 February 1921 between 140 and 260 Sikhs were killed at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, an event remembered as Saka Nankana Sahib and central to the Gurdwara Reform Movement. According to an account published by SikhNet, a written call went out to the Sikhs of Lyallpur district to come to Nankana Sahib at that time.

Bhagat Singh's birthplace, Chak 105 GB, Banga, is also in Jaranwala tehsil.

When pilgrims come

The Pilgrim Calendar

Guru Nanak's birth anniversary

Tuesday 24 November 2026 in the SGPC's Nanakshahi calendar, and a gazetted holiday in India that day. The 2026 programme for pilgrims from India runs from 22 November to 1 December, with the main event at Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

Vaisakhi

Every April. In 2026 the Baisakhi festival in Pakistan was held from 10 to 14 April, and pilgrims from India also visited Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

20 February

The anniversary of Saka Nankana Sahib, the 1921 killings at Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

Visiting

Visiting Nankana Sahib

Checked 16 September 2026. These rules have changed several times since 2025. Confirm with the official sources linked below before making any plans.

Indian citizens

  • Pilgrims travel in group jathas organised through recognised Sikh bodies, such as the SGPC in Amritsar and the HSGMC in Haryana, under the 1974 India-Pakistan protocol on visits to religious shrines.
  • Private applications and private tour operators are not accepted.
  • The visa is limited to named gurdwaras and a fixed period, and pilgrims are expected to stay with their jatha.
  • The Kartarpur corridor has been suspended since 7 May 2025.
  • Official sources: SGPC and the Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi.

Other passports

  • Holders of other passports, including British, Canadian and American Sikhs, apply online through Pakistan's official visa portal, run by NADRA.
  • The portal has a separate visa category for Sikh pilgrims. Indian nationals who live permanently in another country apply there with proof of that residence.
  • Official sources: NADRA, Sikh pilgrim visa and the Evacuee Trust Property Board travel advisory.

Family roots in Jaranwala?

If your family lived in a chak in Jaranwala tehsil before 1947, every chak is listed by number and name.

Find your chak

Spotted Something Out of Date?

Visiting rules and dates change. If something on this page is wrong or has changed, tell us and we will check it and correct the page.

Sources

Sources