Bangla Sahib

INTRODUCTION
GURUDWARA BANGLA SAHIB IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT SIKH GURDWARA, IN DELHI, INDIA AND KNOWN FOR ITS
ASSOCIATION WITH THE EIGHTH SIKH GURU, GURU HAR KRISHAN, AS WELL AS THE POOL INSIDE ITS COMPLEX, KNOWN
AS THE "SAROVAR." IT WAS FIRST BUILT AS A SMALL SHRINE BY SIKH GENERAL SARDAR BHAGEL SINGH DHALIWAL IN
1783, WHO SUPERVISED THE CONSTRUCTION OF NINE SIKH SHRINES IN DELHI IN THE SAME YEAR, DURING THE REIGN OF
MUGHAL EMPEROR, SHAH ALAM II.
MAP OF DELHI MAP OF CENTRAL DELHI
IT IS SITUATED NEAR CONNAUGHT PLACE, NEW DELHI ON BABA KHARAK SINGH MARG AND IT IS INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE BY ITS
GOLDEN DOME AND TALL FLAGPOLE, NISHAN SAHIB. LOCATED NEXT TO IT IS THE SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL.
NEAREST METRO : PATEL CHOWK , RAJIV CHOWK, CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI STADIUM.

NEAREST BUS STOP : SHAHID BHAGAT SINGH MARG , BANGLA SAHIB
ENTRY FEE : NO VISTING CHARGE IS TAKEN
LANGAR HOURS : ONLY VEGETARIAN FOOD , 9AM-3PM & 7PM-10PM
HISTORY
• GURDWARA BANGLA SAHIB WAS ORIGINALLY A BUNGALOW BELONGING TO
RAJA JAI SINGH, AN INDIAN RULER IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, AND WAS
KNOWN AS JAISINGHPURA PALACE, IN JAISINGH PURA, AN HISTORIC
NEIGHBOURHOOD DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONNAUGHT PLACE,
SHOPPING DISTRICT.
• THE EIGHTH SIKH GURU, GURU HAR KRISHAN RESIDED HERE DURING HIS STAY
IN DELHI IN 1664. DURING THAT TIME, THERE WAS A SMALLPOX AND CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC, AND GURU HAR KRISHAN HELPED THE SUFFERING BY GIVING AID
AND FRESH WATER FROM THE WELL AT THIS HOUSE.
• SOON HE TOO CONTRACTED THE ILLNESS AND EVENTUALLY DIED ON 30
MARCH 1664. A SMALL TANK WAS LATER CONSTRUCTED BY RAJA JAI SINGH
OVER THE WELL, ITS WATER IS NOW REVERED AS HAVING HEALING PROPERTIES
AND IS TAKEN BY SIKHS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BACK TO THEIR HOMES.
• THE GURDWARA AND ITS SAROVAR ARE NOW A PLACE OF GREAT REVERENCE
FOR SIKHS, AND A PLACE FOR SPECIAL CONGREGATION ON BIRTH ANNIVERSARY
OF GURU HAR KRISHAN.
RAJA JAI SINGH
PARANOMA VIEW FROM THE SAROVAR

ARCHITECTURE
• THE GURDUWARA HAS AN IMPRESSIVE GOLDEN DOME AND WHITE

MARBLE BUILDINGS, INTRICATE CARVINGS AND A HEALING POOL
WITH FISHES.
• THE MAIN HALL HAS BEAUTIFUL GOLD LEAF COVERED WALLS AND
CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS
• THE GURUDWARA HAS MANY SIKH ARCHITECTURE ELEMENTS-
• DEORI(GATEWAY)- SIKH TEMPLES HAVE A DEORHI, AN ENTRANCE OR

GATEWAY, THROUGH WHICH ONE HAS TO PASS BEFORE REACHING
THE SHRINE. THE VISITORS GET THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE SANCTUM
SANCTOTUM FROM THE DEORHI.
• GUMBAD(DOME)- AS A RULE, A GUMBAD (DOME) IS THE CROWNING

FEATURE OF A GURDWARA, THE DOME IS USUALLY WHITE, AND
SOMETIMES GILDED. AS A RULE, THE LOWER PART DOMINATES THE
DOMICAL STRUCTURE AND LOOKS SOMEWHAT AUSTERE IN
COMPARISON WITH IT. APART FROM THE LARGER CENTRAL DOME,
THERE ARE OFTEN FOUR OTHER SMALLER CUPOLAS, ONE ON EACH
CORNER OF THE UNUSUALLY CUBOID STRUCTURE OF THE SHRINE
• STOREYS- A RECURRENT ELEMENT OF GURDWARA DESIGN IS THE
PREFERRED USAGE OF TWO STOREYS TO GAIN SUFFICIENT
ELEVATION FOR THE SHRINE. THE ELEVATION IS USUALLY TREATED
BY DIVIDING THE FACADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STRUCTURAL
LINES OF COLUMNS, PIERS AND PILASTERS, WITH VERTICAL
DIVISIONS CREATING AREAS OF WELL-MOLDED SURFACES.
• ARCHES- POINTED, SEMICIRCULAR, ELLIPTICAL ARCHES, WITH OR

WITHOUT CUSPS, AS WELL AS OGEE ARCHES, ARE THE UBIQUITOUS
ELEMENTS OF SIKH ARCHITECTURE
• JARATKARI OR IN-LAY WORK- PLASTER-OF-PARIS WORK, TUKRI WORK,
FRESCO PAINTING, PINJRA OR LATTICE WORK ARE THE TECHNIQUES USED FOR
EMBELLISHMENT OF EXTERIOR SURFACES AS WELL AS FOR INTERIOR
DECORATION.
• SLABS- THE SLABS OFTEN HAVE FLORID OR GEOMETRICAL BORDERS, WHICH

ENCLOSE PAINSTAKINGLY, EXECUTED IN-LAY WORK USING FLORAL SHAPES
AND PATTERNS. BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS ARE MADE ON THE WALLS WITH GACH,
WHICH IS SUBSEQUENTLY GILDED
• BUILDING MATERIALS-
• BRICK, LIME MORTAR AS WELL AS LIME OR GYPSUM PLASTER, AND LIME
CONCRETE HAVE BEEN THE MOST FAVORED BUILDING MATERIALS,
ALTHOUGH STONE, SUCH AS RED STONE AND WHITE MARBLE, HAS ALSO BEEN
USED IN A NUMBER OF SHRINES.
• SIKH ARCHITECTURE IS A LIVELY BLEND OF THE MUGHAL AND RAJPUT STYLES.

ONION-SHAPED DOMES, MULTI-FOIL ARCHES, PAIRED PILASTERS, IN-LAY
WORK, FRESCOES, ETC. ARE OF MUGHAL EXTRACTION, MORE SPECIALLY OF
SHAH JAHAN'S PERIOD, WHILE ORIEL WINDOWS, BRACKET SUPPORTED EAVES
AT THE STRING-COURSE, CHATTRIS, RICHLY ORNAMENTED FRIEZES, ETC., ARE
DERIVED FROM ELEMENTS OF RAJPUT ARCHITECTURE SUCH AS IS SEEN IN
JAIPUR, JODHPUR, BIKANER AND OTHER PLACES IN RAJASTHAN.
• WITH THE MAIN SHRINE AS THE FOCUS, SIKH ARCHITECTURE HAS TENDED TO
DEVELOP INTO A COMPLEX OF SEVERAL BUILDINGS SERVING DIFFERENT
FUNCTIONS INCLUDING RESIDENCES, OFFICES, MUSEUMS, COMMUNITY
KITCHENS, ETC. THESE CHARACTERISTICS APTLY EXPRESS THE THREE
COMMANDMENTS OF THE SIKH FAITH: WORKING, WORSHIPPING AND
SHARING.
• SIKH ARCHITECTURE IS A LIVELY BLEND OF THE MUGHAL AND RAJPUT
STYLES. ONION-SHAPED DOMES, MULTI-FOIL ARCHES, PAIRED
PILASTERS, IN-LAY WORK, FRESCOES, ETC. ARE OF MUGHAL
EXTRACTION, MORE SPECIALLY OF SHAH JAHAN'S PERIOD, WHILE
ORIEL WINDOWS, BRACKET SUPPORTED EAVES AT THE
STRING-COURSE, CHATTRIS, RICHLY ORNAMENTED FRIEZES, ETC., ARE
DERIVED FROM ELEMENTS OF RAJPUT ARCHITECTURE SUCH AS IS SEEN
IN JAIPUR, JODHPUR, BIKANER AND OTHER PLACES IN RAJASTHAN.
• WITH THE MAIN SHRINE AS THE FOCUS, SIKH ARCHITECTURE HAS

TENDED TO DEVELOP INTO A COMPLEX OF SEVERAL BUILDINGS
SERVING DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS INCLUDING RESIDENCES, OFFICES,
MUSEUMS, COMMUNITY KITCHENS, ETC. THESE CHARACTERISTICS
APTLY EXPRESS THE THREE COMMANDMENTS OF THE SIKH FAITH:
WORKING, WORSHIPPING AND SHARING.
IMPROVEMENTS
● BETTER SIGNAGE- BY PROVIDING SIGN BOARDS FOR DIFFERENT ENTRANCES
AS SEVERAL ACCESSES CAN CREATE CONFUSION DURING PEAK HOURS OR
WHEN OVER CROWDED
● UNCLEAR MAIN ENTRANCE- BY CLEARING THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF PUBLIC

VEHICLES AND CREATING A DIFFERENT SPOT FOR PICK AND DROP
● GREEN AREAS- BY PLANTING MORE TREES AROUND THE AREA AND NEAR THE
SEATING AREA AS WELL
● PRESERVATION OF THE SAROVAR- BY MAINTAINING THE AREA NEAR THE

SAROVAR AND LIMITING PUBLIC ACCESS
● SEGREGATION OF POOR- INTEGRATION OF THE MIDDLE CLASS AND ABOVE

WITH THE POOR AT THE TIME OF LANGAR
● PARKING SPACE- PROVISION OF MORE AUTHORIZED PARKING SPACES

ISSUES – BANGLA SAHIB
• DURING PEAK TIMES, IT MAY GET CONGESTED, LIKE ON NEW YEAR’S, SIKH
FESTIVALS AND LEAD TO ADDED PRESSURE ON THE MANAGEMENT AND
HAVOC.
• ENTRANCE TO THE GURUDWARA IS NOT AS GRAND AND HAS BEEN BLOCKED
BY AUTOS, RICKSHAWS AND NEARBY PEOPLE.
• THE BEGGARS AND HOMELESS CREATE A MESS OUTSIDE THE GURUDWARA
AND LOOT THE TOURISTS.`
• A SEPARATE LANGAR HAS BEEN CREATED FOR THE POOR AND HOMELESS,
WHICH SOME ARGUE CREATES A BARRIER BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR –
VIOLATING THE SIKH TEACHINGS
• AN ONGOING PARKING BATTLE AMONGST THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OF CONCERN.
• DUE TO INCREASING POLLUTION AND HEAT, THE VEGETATION HAS DECREASED
NOTABLY AROUND THE SAROVAR.
• THE CATFISH INSIDE THE SAROVAR HAVE ALSO SEEMINGLY DECREASED DUE TO
INCREASING HEAT AND FOOTFALL.

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INTRODUCTION

MAP OF DELHI MAP OF CENTRAL DELHI

NEAREST METRO : PATEL CHOWK , RAJIV CHOWK, CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI STADIUM.

RAJA JAI SINGH

PARANOMA VIEW FROM THE SAROVAR

• THE GURDUWARA HAS AN IMPRESSIVE GOLDEN DOME AND WHITE

• DEORI(GATEWAY)- SIKH TEMPLES HAVE A DEORHI, AN ENTRANCE OR

• GUMBAD(DOME)- AS A RULE, A GUMBAD (DOME) IS THE CROWNING

• ARCHES- POINTED, SEMICIRCULAR, ELLIPTICAL ARCHES, WITH OR

• SLABS- THE SLABS OFTEN HAVE FLORID OR GEOMETRICAL BORDERS, WHICH

• SIKH ARCHITECTURE IS A LIVELY BLEND OF THE MUGHAL AND RAJPUT STYLES.

• WITH THE MAIN SHRINE AS THE FOCUS, SIKH ARCHITECTURE HAS

● UNCLEAR MAIN ENTRANCE- BY CLEARING THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF PUBLIC

● PRESERVATION OF THE SAROVAR- BY MAINTAINING THE AREA NEAR THE

● SEGREGATION OF POOR- INTEGRATION OF THE MIDDLE CLASS AND ABOVE

● PARKING SPACE- PROVISION OF MORE AUTHORIZED PARKING SPACES

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