Sikh–Muslim coexistence in Nankana Sahib

A historical study of shared religious space

Bibliographic Data

ID24231332
AuthorsGhulam Shabbir (0000-0002-9679-1411, University of Gujrat)
Year2026
Pages1-14
Publication date2026-10-10
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSikh Formations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-8727 • E-ISSN: 1744-8735
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17448727.2026.2746292
OpenAlexW7221342437
LanguageEN
References cited30

This paper examines Sikh–Muslim coexistence in Nankana Sahib, historically ‘Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi’ and Guru Nanak’s birthplace. It presents the town as both ‘pilgrimage centre’ and ‘shared religious space’, shaped by sacred memory, Muslim custodianship, Sikh devotion, state regulation and local exchange. Using historical method, ‘process tracing’ and hermeneutic reading of ‘sacred geography’, it follows developments from Guru Nanak, Rai Bular Bhatti, shrine formation, ‘Saka Nankana’, Partition, evacuee-property laws and the 1974 Protocol. It concludes that coexistence is a negotiated order sustained through ‘darshan’, ‘sewa’, hospitality, security, minority rights, heritage tourism and economic interdependence, rather than pure harmony or continual conflict alone.

Darshan · Guru Nanak · Heritage tourism · Hospitality · Minority rights · Partition of India · Pilgrimage · sacred geography · sacred memory · seva · state regulation of religion · Islamic Studies and History · Religious Tourism and Spaces · South Asian Studies and Diaspora