Ahead of the 550 Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Sikh community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan have decided to rebuild Gurdwara Chashma Sahib.

Located in Hangu, 71 km from Peshawar, Gurdwara Chashma Sahib is currently attended by approximately eight to fifteen houses of local Sikhs and Hindus who offer prayers at the site.

Reportedly demolished 35-40 years back, the Gurdwara Chashma Sahib site is close to the Saragarhi hills where the famous battle of Saragarhi was fought.

Gurdwara Saragarhi Singh Sabha chairman, Sunny Singh states:

“The gurdwara which existed here was destroyed decades ago. Now we want to rebuild it and hold an international-level religious function.”

Historian Surinder Kochhar has stated that during an Udasi (journeys) to Afghanistan, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji along with Bhai Mardana camped outside Hangu village to rest. Guru Ji asked his disciple to fetch some water from the village, but he returned empty-handed as there was an acute shortage of water there. The villagers then sought the help of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is said that Guru Ji pointed a stick towards the ground, and a spring (Chashma) of fresh water surfaced.

Sunny Singh states that not many people know of this place and it finds scant mention in history books.

“But now we have decided to hold a religious function and start reconstruction of the Gurdwara Chashma Sahib.”

He said that close to the place where the spring originates lies a pond where local Muslim population performs the ablutions before offering prayers.