In Narowal, a breach in the River Ravi’s embankment unleashed floodwaters that caused large-scale devastation, submerging the historic Kartarpur Sahib complex, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday.
The Sikh community’s revered shrine, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, located in Narowal district, came under heavy flooding as waters from the Ravi entered the premises.
The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, one of Sikhism’s holiest sites, is now inundated with five to six feet of water. Floodwaters have also crossed Shakargarh Road, with water levels reaching up to five feet, making travel and movement extremely difficult in the area.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also known as Kartarpur Sahib, stands on the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, settled after his missionary travels and lived until his death in 1539. The shrine is considered one of the most sacred places in Sikhism, alongside the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.
Located near the Pakistan-India border, Kartarpur Sahib is also famous for the Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated on 9 November 2019, which provides Indian Sikh pilgrims with rare visa-free access to the shrine. It is claimed to be the largest gurdwara in the world. The flooding of such a historic and spiritually significant site has sparked deep concern among devotees worldwide.
Reporter: Yasir Arfat