Kartarpur, Pakistan
Kartarpur 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.
Geography
Kartarpur is located at, at an average elevation of 155 metres. It lies upon the western banks of the Ravi River, opposite the town of Dera Baba Nanak, a sacred town in Sikhism.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. 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
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
The population is primarily Punjabi.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.