Gurudwara Bal Lila, Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Bal Lilah Sahib at Sri Nankana Sahib after reconstruction

About 300 metres from Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sri Bal Lila Sahib was originally built by Rai Bular, the ruler of the village. It is significant as the village playground, where young Nanak assembled his friends not only for physical games but to lead them as holy man sitting in meditation. Gurdwara Sri Bal Lila Sahib marks the field where Guru Nanak used to play in the company of other children. As is apparent from the name, this site is related with the wonderful adventure of the early childhood of the Guru. The Guru in his infancy, used to transport the enlightenment of the Naam (God’s name) to the minds of his friends, while playing with them.

The original holy pond Nanaksar with this Gurdwara was built by Rai Bular, the ruler of Talwandi. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib during his visit to the town is said to have enlarged the site. Diwan Kaura Mall, a hindu noble (d. 1752), after his victory over Multan with the assistance of the Sikhs in 1748, further enlarged this Gurdwara and brick lined two sides of the nearby tank originally dug by Rai Bular.

During the early 1800s, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had the building renovated and the tank enlarged and properly lined. Of the land donated by him, about 3,000 acres were allotted to Gurdwara Sri Bal Lila Sahib. After the 1921 tragedy at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, the custodian mahants of this Gurdwara voluntarily handed it over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in exchange for suitable maintenance allowance for their families.

    • Guru Nanak's ChildhoodGuru Nanak’s Childhood

      Guru Nanak was not an ordinary child. Children of his age liked him very much and everyone wanted to play with him.

 

Before the Saka of 1921, the arrangement of this Gurdwara was in the hands of the Nirmala Singhs. Besides Tirath Singh, the Mahant there were also 37 other patidaars. The Gurdwara came under the panthic management at the time of the Gurdwara Sudhar Movement. This Gurdwara remained in the panthic hands up to 1947, but after the partition, the Pakistan Waqf Board has been serving the Gurdwara.

The sarovar adjacent to the Gurdwara is lying dried up and the Gurdwara is opened only at the time of visiting to it by the Sikhs. There is no arrangement of Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib. It is only the building which is safe and sound. The present Gurdwara was reconstructed during the 1930’s and 1940’s under the supervision of Sant Gurmukh Singh Seva wale (1849-1947). The new building on the bank of the adjoining sarovar was a multistoreyed domed edifice. However, it seems this has now also been rebuilt.