Hazur Sahib: Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra

Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, one of the five takhts of Sikhs, is posited on the banks of River Godavari in the ‘Sanctified City’ of Nanded in Maharashtra. One of the highest temporal seats of authority and the main Gurudwara of Sikhs, Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib stands on the ground were Guru Gobind Singh Ji breathed his last. This is the place where Guru Gobind Sahib declared himself as the last Guru and announced Guru Granth Sahib as the holy book of the Sikhs. Before his death, Guru Gobind Singh requested his followers not to erect an edifice to mark his death. Anybody who defied this order would have to repay with the death of his/her child. Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to erect a shrine to mark the death of Guru Gobind Singh and quite interestingly, lost most of his offspring before they came of age. The construction of the Gurudwara came to an end in the year 1839 and co-incidentally, Maharaja Ranjit Singh too died that year.

History

In 1708, soon after the departure of Emperor Bahadur Shah, Guru Gobind Singh set up a camp at Nanded. He established a Gurudwara named SachKhand (land of truth) where he placed the sacred Guru Granth Sahib and named the city as Abchalnagar (steadfast city). The construction of the Gurudwara began in 1832 on the instruction of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Formerly, the Gurudwara was under the control of the Udasi priests. However, in the nineteenth century, it came under the power of Sikhs.

Major Attractions

The Gurudwara is a double-storied edifice constructed on a high platform. It has a small room on the second floor with a gold-plated dome and a gilded ornamented umbrella-shaped golden finial. The inner room, known as Angitha Sahib, is covered with golden carved plates inscribed with floral motifs, holy symbols and inscriptions of Sikhs. The inner walls and the ceiling are beautifully embellished with tukari and latticework that just adds to the grandeur of the Gurudwara. The outer surface of the main dome is plated with gold and holds a kalash that is made of gilded copper. During the day, some of the prized collectibles of the Gurudwara like golden dagger, a quiver with thirty-five arrows, two bows, a matchlock gun, a shield of steel with studded precious gemstones and five gilded swords are placed on the marble platform for display.

Although no time is the bad time to visit a temple, the most favorable time to visit this famous shrine would be between November to February when the weather is rather pleasant. The summers here are dry and monsoons are usually marked by torrential rainfall, which makes winters the most agreeable season to visit this shrine.

How To Reach

By Air:

Nanded has a domestic drome named Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport that operates domestic flights. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is the nearest drome to Nanded, which is just about 250 kms drive away from the city. The next closest airport is the Chikkalthana Airport in Aurangabad, which is about 275 kms away. Besides, there are weekly flights available from Mumbai as well. After reaching any of the airports, hire a taxi or take a public bus to reach the shrine.

By Train:

Nanded is the divisional headquarter of the Southern Central Railway and thus, is well connected to almost all the major cities of India. There are direct trains from Pune, Mumbai, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Patna, and Srinagar. Take a taxi, an auto-rickshaw or a public transport to reach Hazur Sahib. For providing comfort to the devotees, the management board of Gurudwara has opened a computerized railway ticket counter in the premises of the Gurudwara.

By Road:

There is the facility of public and deluxe private buses from Maharashtra, Aurangabad and Hyderabad. It takes 5-6 hours from Aurangabad and 11 hours from Pune to reach Nanded. The fair is reasonable and it is pretty much comfortable for an overnight journey.

The Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib is one of the most popular and sanctified place for the Sikhs. Followers from all around the world come here to receive the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Apart from the main Takht, there is Bunga Mai Bhagoji, the place where Guru Granth Sahib is placed and the Angitha Sahib, where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated.