SSC
The birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev is now known as:
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Answer: Option C — Nankana Sahib
Detailed Solution
Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi, a village now called "Nankana Sahib", in the Punjab province of Pakistan, about 80 km west of Lahore.
About Nankana Sahib:
- It is now a city and the headquarters of the Nankana Sahib district in Pakistan.
- It is one of the holiest places for Sikhs.
"Gurdwara Janam Asthan" (birthplace) marks the spot where Guru Nanak was born. It is the main gurdwara in the city.
The town was renamed "Nankana Sahib" in honour of Guru Nanak.
Rai Bular Bhatti, the local Muslim landlord, recognised the young Nanak's spiritual greatness and gave land to the Guru's family; his descendants are still respected by Sikhs.
Other gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib:
- Gurdwara Bal Lila: where Nanak played as a child.
- Gurdwara Patti Sahib: where he went to school.
- Gurdwara Kiara Sahib: where he grazed cattle.
- Gurdwara Tambu Sahib: associated with the story of "Sacha Sauda", in which young Nanak spent money given for trade on feeding hungry holy men, calling it the "true bargain".
- Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India and other countries visit Nankana Sahib every year, especially on Guru Nanak's birth anniversary ("Gurpurab"), under the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines.
History:
The "Nankana Sahib massacre" (Saka Nankana Sahib) took place on 20 February 1921, when more than 100 peaceful Sikh reformers who had come to free the gurdwara from the control of a corrupt mahant (priest), Narain Das, were killed. It led to the Gurdwara Reform Movement (Akali movement) and the "Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925".
Other important Sikh places:
Anandpur Sahib (Punjab, India): where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa in 1699.
Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab, India): where the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh (Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh) were martyred in 1705. Their martyrdom is remembered as "Veer Baal Diwas" on 26 December (since 2022).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kartarpur Sahib is where Guru Nanak spent his last years.
- ✗Anandpur Sahib is where the Khalsa was founded.
- ✗Fatehgarh Sahib is associated with the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's younger sons.
Quick tip
Remember: Guru Nanak's birthplace = Nankana Sahib, Pakistan (Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi; born 1469; Gurdwara Janam Asthan; Saka Nankana Sahib 1921); Kartarpur = last years; Anandpur Sahib = Khalsa 1699; Veer Baal Diwas = 26 December.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.