Gurudwara Sahib Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is a beautiful gurudwara of Delhi. It is located near the post office of Mehrauli, New Delhi. The gurudwara is at a distance of one and half kilometer from Qutub Minar.

The gurudwara is built at the very spot where Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, his infant son, and 40 other Sikh devotees were tortured and executed by the Mughals.

Delhi Sikh Management Committee manages this gurudwara.

History

Banda Singh Bahadur, who was born as Lachman Dev on October 27, 1670, and also called Banda Bahadur, was a Sikh military commander. He left home at the age of 15 to embrace austerity. He came to be called “Madho Das.”

He set up a monastery on the banks of the Godavari River at Nanded. In the September of 1708, Guru Gobind Singh visited him. Madho Das became his disciple. It was the Guru who gave him the name “Banda Singh Bahadur.”

Blessed by the Guru, Banda Singh brought together a fighting force to battle against the Mughal Empire. His first big win was sacking Samana, the Mughal provincial capital in November 1709. Later, he established authority in Punjab. Then he relinquished the Zamindari system and, under his leadership, tillers of the land got property rights.

The Mughals captured Banda Singh Bahadur and tortured him to death in 1716.

Architecture

Gurudwara Sahib Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is small. Pillars support the first floor of its structure. The ground floor is proposed to be turned into a hall for organizing community meals or “langar.”

Most of the gurudwara building is made of marble. There is a small dome on a square. A parikrama around the gurudwara is linked with the gate. Here, the initial “prakash” was done.

A school in the name of Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur also exists here. Tourists can also see a pillar that stands proudly at a height of 50 meters, overlooking the Khwaja Bakhtair Kaki Dargah. The pillar features a hook in steel. It is believed that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was lynched on this hook. There is another gurudwara in the neighborhood.

Gurudwara Sahib Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur exudes a peaceful ambience. It is a common sight to see devotees praying and meditating inside the chief prayer hall. In spite of the modest structure, the gurudwara impresses visitors due to its cleanliness, calmness, and marbled look.

Gurudwara Timings

Gurdwara Sahib Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is open 7 days a week, throughout the day. “Ardas” or Invocation Prayers begin early mornings. Prayers are done whole day.

Best Time to Visit

Tourists can visit this sacred place all year round.

How to Reach

It is easy to reach Gurdwara Sahib Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur from any part of Delhi. Tourists can get buses, cabs, and auto rickshaws. The Qutub Minar metro station is the nearest, just a kilometer away from this gurudwara.

Delhi is connected well with the rest of India through railways, roadways, and airways.