The Corridor between India and Pakistan is known as Kartarpur Sahib since Kartarpur, a town in Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan (originally known as the village Pakhoke) is located on the west (left) bank of the Ravi river, where Sikhs’ first master Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life.
It is believed that Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, also known as Sri Kartarpur Sahib, is where Guru Nanak Dev first practised the three pillars of Sikhism — ‘Kirat Karo (working hard at whatever task one undertakes and an honest living), Vand Chhako (share wealth, possessions and talents with others), and Naam Japo (meditation through reciting, chanting and singing)’ as the path to liberation.
Dera Baba Nanak is a town that is situated on the east (right) bank of the river Ravi in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district on the Indian side. After Pakhoke was renamed as Kartarpur, the Bedis, who are descendants of Guru Nanak Dev, built a new town and named it Dera Baba Nanak after their great ancestor.
It is also widely believed that Guru Nanak Dev composed many hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, including the Japuji Sahib, at Kartarpur. The community meal, known as guru ka langar, also began in Kartarpur and ultimately became an important aspect of Sikh tradition.
The foundation stone of the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib was laid by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1572 and he covered its dome with gold. The most recent reconstruction of the Gurudwara took place in the 1920s during the reign of the then Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, at a cost of Rs 1.35 lakh.