Historic Sikh pilgrimage site hit as Punjab floods worsen.
Narowal, Punjab — August 27, 2025
One of Sikhism’s holiest shrines, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, has been partially submerged by rising waters from the Ravi River.
Before the Flood
Just weeks ago, the Kartarpur Sahib complex stood in its usual calm glory — its gleaming white marble domes reflecting under the sun, lush green fields surrounding it, and pilgrims walking barefoot across the wide courtyard in peace. The corridor linking Pakistan and India was bustling with visitors offering prayers and langar.
After the Flood
Now, visuals tell a very different story. The shrine is covered in 3 to 4 feet of muddy water, marble floors drowned, and the courtyard looking like a shallow lake. Water has even seeped inside the sanctum. Officials quickly moved the Guru Granth Sahib-ji and volunteers (sevadars) to the first floor for safety.
The Kartarpur Corridor, once a symbol of cross-border faith, is under water and has been shut down.
Punjab’s Worsening Flood Crisis
Punjab reels under its worst flooding in over a decade, driven by record monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams. At Jassar, the Ravi carried more than 200,000 cusecs of water, with Lahore bracing for peak flows overnight. Red alerts have been issued as villages, crops, and livestock are swallowed by rising waters. (Related read: Pakistan: Punjab on Red Alert as Army Deployed Amid Rising Floodwaters)
Kartarpur’s Sacred Legacy
Kartarpur is where Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last 18 years of his life until his passing in 1539. It houses a 500-year-old well and relics including Guru Nanak’s chola (robe) from his visit to Mecca.
The shrine has seen floods before, rebuilt many times — from Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala’s efforts to its grand reopening in 1999, and the 2019 inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor which brought hope of peace across borders. Learn more at the Sikh Encyclopedia about his time in Kartarpur.
Symbolism Amid Crisis
For Sikhs around the world, Kartarpur Sahib is more than a building. It is a living symbol of faith, unity, and peace. Seeing it partly submerged is both heartbreaking and a reminder of how climate disasters are threatening cultural and religious heritage across South Asia.
Floods devastate Punjab
Punjab’s drown crisis has deepened due to a deadly mix of record monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams. At Jassar, the Ravi is carrying over 200,000 cusecs of water, with peak flows expected to hit Shahdara in Lahore overnight. Authorities have issued a red alert, warning of severe inundation across low-lying areas, with families displaced, and livestock and crops already destroyed.
Human Toll in Narowal
Local residents around the gurdwara are also struggling. Entire villages near the Ravi River have been cut off, with families forced to wade through waist-deep water carrying whatever belongings they could save. Farmers say their standing crops of rice, maize, and sugarcane — their only source of livelihood — are now destroyed.
Government & Relief Efforts
The Pakistani army has been deployed to assist in rescue operations, while disaster management teams race to strengthen embankments and provide food, water, and shelter to displaced families. Authorities have assured that restoration of the gurdwara will begin once waters recede, but for now the priority remains saving lives.
Global Sikh Reaction
Across India, the UK, Canada, and the US, Sikh communities have expressed deep concern and offered assistance. Gurdwaras abroad are raising funds for relief efforts, and social media is loaded with prayers and calls to protect the shrine. Many Sikhs see the disaster as a wake-up call for stronger measures to safeguard cultural sites from the growing impacts of climate change.
1 thought on “Pakistan: Floodwaters Submerge Kartarpur Sahib Shrine”