Kartarpur
Kartarpur (Punjabi /) is a border town 102 km from Lahore 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 Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism, who established the first Sikh commune there.
Kartarpur
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- Kartarpur
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kartarpur • Settlement Type — Town in Pakistan • Mapsize — 150 px • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Pakistan • Subdivision Type1 — Province • Subdivision Name1 — Punjab 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
Etymology
Etymology
The name Kartārpur means "Creator's town".
Geography
Geography
Kartarpur is located at, at an average elevation of 155 metres (511 feet). It lies upon the western banks of the Ravi River, opposite the town of Dera Baba Nanak, a sacred town in Sikhism.
History
History
The first Guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, founded Kartarpur in 1504 CE on the right bank of the Ravi River with financial support from Karori, a wealthy Khatri convert. Other sources place its year of founding to c. 1520. It became the site of the first Sikh commune, where Guru Nanak settled with his family. After his death in 1539, both Hindus and Muslims claimed him as their own, and each group constructed a mausoleum—separated by a common wall—at his final resting place.
Partition
Partition
Before the Partition of India in 1947, Kartarpur was part of Gurdaspur District in British Punjab. The district was divided into four tehsils: Gurdaspur, Shakargarh, Pathankot, and Batala. Following the partition, the district itself was split between India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Line allocated Shakargarh Tehsil, including Kartarpur on the right bank of the Ravi River, to Pakistan. The remaining tehsils—Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Batala—located on the left bank, were awarded to India.
Demography
Demography
The population is primarily Punjabi.
Sikhism
Sikhism
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. The changing course of the Ravi River eventually washed away the mausoleums. 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, the Dera Baba Nanak. After Nanak's passing, the early Sikh community's headquarters was shifted from Kartarpur to the village of Khadur by his successor, Guru Angad.
Transport
Transport
The town was connected by a historical railway station 'Darbar Sahib Kartarpur', linked by a branch line to Narowal Junction railway station. The line was closed back in 2000, leading to the deserting of the track and damage to the station building.
Kartarpur Corridor
Kartarpur Corridor
On 9 November 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the opening of a cross-border Kartarpur Corridor allowing Sikhs and all other Indians to visit Pakistan without a visa. 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.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Kartarpur, Pakistan, revision 1369784322 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Sikhs marking 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib. The Express Tribune. 2019-11-07.
- 2.Toppa, Sabrina. Sikhs mark Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary in Pakistan. Al Jazeera.
- 3.Floods engulf Kartarpur, swamping Sikh holy site Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Arab News PK. 2025-08-27.
- 4.The Sikh Panth. Global Institute of Sikh Studies.
- 5.Singha, H. S. The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries). Hemkunt Press. 2000. 978-81-7010-301-1.
- 6.Chhabra, G. S. Advanced Study in History of the Punjab, Vol. 1. 68. 1960.
- 7.Digital South Asia Library. Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 12.
- 8.Yadav, V. Strategic Disaster Risk Management in Asia. Springer. 216. 2015. 978-81-322-2373-3.
- 9.Nesbitt, Eleanor M. Guru Nanak. Bayeux Arts. 15. May 1998. 978-1-896209-27-2.
- 10.Singh, Jagraj. A Complete Guide to Sikhism. Unistar Books. 211. 2009. 978-81-7142-754-3.
- 11.Singha, H. S. The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Hemkunt Press. 59. 2000. 978-81-7010-301-1.
- 12.Sgpc.net. Guru Nanak Sahib.
- 13.Singh, Pashaura. Ideological basis in the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal: exploring the concept of Guru-Panth. Sikh Formations. 17. 1–2. 3–4. 2021-04-03. 1744-8727.
- 14.Pakistan Railways initiates Kartarpur railway track renovation. arynews.tv.
- 15.Organization (Pakistan), Census. Population Census of Pakistan, 1961: District Census Report. Manager of Publications. 1962.
- 16.Railway loses track of income. Dawn. 2009-02-09.
- 17.Siddiqui, Naveed. 'This is the beginning': PM Imran inaugurates Kartarpur Corridor on historic day. Dawn. 9 November 2019.
- 18.Kartarpur corridor: PM Modi thanks PM Imran Khan during inauguration of the Integrated Check Post. gulfnews.com. 9 November 2019.
- 19.Kartarpur Corridor opening a historic moment. Gulf News. 9 November 2019.
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1- Guru NanakAuthor
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 26 September 2026.
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