Categories: Delhi

Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib

Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib ( Chandni Chowk area) is one of Old Delhi’s most important Sikh shrines because it marks the site where the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed in 1675 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The shrine stands in the heart of Chandni Chowk and is both a place of worship and a living memorial to religious freedom, martyrdom, and the turbulent Mughal–Sikh interactions of the 17th century.

Historical background: why this place matters

In November 1675 Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested and brought to Delhi during the religiously charged reign of Aurangzeb. According to historical accounts preserved in Sikh tradition and recorded by later historians, the Guru refused to accept forced conversion to Islam and gave moral support to Hindus whose right to worship was being suppressed. As a consequence he was publicly executed in what is today Chandni Chowk — the exact site is now honoured by Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. That act of martyrdom became a decisive moment for the Sikh community: it deepened Sikh resistance to religious persecution and set the stage for the later militarisation and reorganisation of the Sikhs under Guru Gobind Singh.

This event links the shrine directly to Aurangzeb not because Aurangzeb personally built anything here, but because his policies and the orders he gave made this place a site of martyrdom — and therefore a major historical touchstone in the collective memory of Sikhs and of Delhi’s layered religious history.

The monument and its architecture

The present Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib was first built as a memorial shrine in the late 18th century (Baghel Singh is often credited with raising small shrines in Delhi around 1783). Over time—especially after the upheavals of 1857 and in the 20th century—the structure was rebuilt and enlarged into the familiar three-storey building with domes and a large prayer hall that stands today in Chandni Chowk. The architecture mixes Sikh temple design with local Mughal-era motifs that still mark Old Delhi’s skyline.

Nearby sites, such as Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib (connected to the story of the Guru’s cremation), also form part of a small constellation of memorials that map the final days and the aftermath of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom across Delhi’s urban fabric.

Significance beyond religion: politics, memory and identity

Religious freedom and moral witness. For Sikhs and many others, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s execution is remembered as a defence of the right to religious belief — not only for Sikhs but for Hindus and other communities under pressure at the time. The site is therefore a symbol of intercommunal solidarity and moral courage.
A marker of Mughal policies under Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb’s reign is complex and contested among historians, but episodes such as the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur are often cited to discuss the emperor’s religious policies and their social consequences. The Gurdwara anchors those debates to a physical place in Delhi.
Urban memory and public ritual. Chandni Chowk — originally a planned Mughal marketplace created in the 17th century by Jahanara Begum — contains layers of religious and commercial life. The Gurdwara sits amid shops, lanes and other religious landmarks, and it plays a living role in festivals, daily langar (community kitchen), and ceremonies that draw both devotees and visitors. In civic terms the shrine helps to narrate Old Delhi’s mixed heritage: Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and colonial layers built on top of one another.
Military and civic recognition. The Gurdwara also has a special place in India’s post-colonial ceremonial life: for example, Sikh regiments salute at Sis Ganj Sahib on certain occasions, underscoring the site’s continuing civic and national resonance.

Ritual practice and visitor experience

Visitors to the Gurdwara will find the open prayer hall, the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scripture) recitations, and the ever-present langar where free meals are served to all. The atmosphere combines solemn remembrance — plaques and stories that recall the martyrdom — with ordinary devotional life: kirtan (sung hymns), volunteers serving, and pilgrims who come to pay respects. The Gurdwara’s location in Chandni Chowk also makes it very accessible for heritage walkers exploring Old Delhi.

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