The Union cabinet has granted approval for the construction of the Kartarpur Corridor. This corridor will establish a cross-border connection between India and the much-revered Kartarpur Gurdwara located on the banks of the river Ravi in Pakistan. Kartarpur Gurdwara holds historical importance in the Sikh community as Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, spent the final 18 years of his life there.
The corridor aims to connect Dera Baba Nanak Sahib, a sacred site located in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, India, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. The corridor stretches across 4 km (2 km on each side of the international border). Additionally, The Pakistani government has also sanctioned its construction.
Dedication to Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary
The Kartarpur Corridor celebrates Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary. Currently, the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines governs pilgrimages between India and Pakistan. However, the Kartarpur Corridor will offer visa-free access to both Indian and Pakistani visitors once operational, possibly requiring a separate treaty.
The History of the Kartarpur Corridor Initiative
The concept of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor was initially suggested in 1999 when then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee embarked on a bus journey to Lahore. The Indian government will fund this integrated development project. Anticipated to be finished before Guru Nanak’s 2019 550th Prakash Purab or birth anniversary, this development will enable Indian pilgrims to visit the 2 km distant Kartarpur shrine within Pakistan’s Narowal district. Previously, Indian pilgrims had only a distant view of the shrine via binoculars from Dera Baba Nanak Sahib. India has also urged Pakistan to enhance the corridor on their end in order to simplify pilgrimage for Indian visitors.
| Initial proposal | 1999 |
| Funding | Indian Government |
| Anticipated Completion | 2019 |
| Length | 4 km |
| Purpose | Facilitate pilgrimage |
The Impact and Significance of Kartarpur Corridor
Despite the ongoing deadlock in bilateral talks, both New Delhi and Islamabad have managed to reach consensus on the Kartarpur corridor project. This progress indicates a positive step in relations between India and Pakistan.
About Guru Nanak Dev and his Teachings
Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti, celebrated on a full-moon day in the month of Katak, marks the birth of Guru Nanak Dev(1469-1539), who was the foremost among the 10 Sikh Gurus and the founder of Sikhism. He propagated the ‘Nirguna’ form of bhakti and abandoned sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities, and scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. To foster community spirit, he established congregational worship rules (sangat) involving collective recitation.
One of his disciples, Angad, succeeded him as the guru, a practice that continued for almost 200 years. Guru Arjan, the fifth guru, compiled hymns of Baba Guru Nanak along with those of his four successors and other religious poets like Baba Farid, Ravidas (also known as Raidas), and Kabir in the Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns are referred to as ‘Gurbani’ and are written in various languages.
In the late 17th century, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, included the compositions of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, in this scripture, which was then called the Guru Granth Sahib. Additionally, he established the Khalsa Panth (army of the pure) and defined its five distinctive symbols: uncut hair, a dagger, a pair of shorts, a comb, and a steel bangle. This foundation solidified the community into a formidable socio-religious and military force.
