Photo Gallery
Sacred Sikh Heritage in HD
58 photographs of Gurdwara Sahibs, the Takhts and Sikh life. Tap any photo to view it full size.
Sri Harmandir Sahib
Sri Harmandir Sahib in golden evening light, Amritsar
Sri Harmandir Sahib, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, glows in the warm light of late afternoon as it rises from the Amrit Sarovar. Its four doors, open to every direction, welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds.
Photo: Oleg Yunakov · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sri Harmandir Sahib, daytime view across the Amrit Sarovar
A clear daytime view of the gilded sanctum of Sri Harmandir Sahib and the causeway that carries pilgrims across the sacred pool. Guru Arjan Dev Ji designed the shrine to sit lower than the surrounding parikrama as a lesson in humility.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Harmandir Sahib on a misty winter morning
Winter fog softens the outline of Sri Harmandir Sahib while a sevadar quietly cleans the Amrit Sarovar. Selfless service of this kind is at the heart of daily life in the complex.
Photo: Dey.sandip · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Harmandir Sahib at night, reflected in the Amrit Sarovar
After dark the gold-clad sanctum and the Darshani Deori are illuminated and mirrored in the still waters of the Sarovar. Kirtan continues inside late into the night before the Sukhasan ceremony.
Photo: Bijay Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Harmandir Sahib illuminated at night
A close view of Sri Harmandir Sahib under floodlights, its gilded domes and marble inlay shimmering on the water. Devotees visit at every hour, and the complex never fully sleeps.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Akal Takht Sahib with the Darshani Deori, Amritsar
Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Throne of the Timeless One, was established by Guru Hargobind Ji in 1606 and is the supreme seat of temporal authority for the Sikh Panth. It faces Sri Harmandir Sahib across the parikrama, with the Darshani Deori to its left.
Photo: Shivani · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Darshani Deori, gateway to Sri Harmandir Sahib
Sangat gathers beneath the ornate Darshani Deori, the gateway that opens onto the causeway leading to the sanctum. Its silver doors and gilded arch mark the final threshold before darshan of the Guru.
Photo: Amritpal Singh Mann · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Harmandir Sahib complex from above at dusk
An elevated view of the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex at twilight, with the tall tower of Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai rising behind. The view shows how the sanctum sits at the centre of the sacred pool and the surrounding parikrama.
Photo: shyam mishra · CC0
Sunrise over Sri Harmandir Sahib
The first light of day gilds the Amrit Sarovar as a devotee takes an early morning dip. Amrit Vela, the ambrosial hours before dawn, is treasured by Sikhs as the time for prayer and reflection.
Photo: Viwehei · CC BY-SA 3.0
Five Takhts
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib at dusk, Anandpur Sahib
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib marks the spot where Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Khalsa on Vaisakhi 1699. It is one of the five Takhts, and several of the Guru's own weapons are preserved here.
Photo: Deziner89 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in daylight
The white marble facade of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib beneath a clear sky. Anandpur Sahib, the City of Bliss, was founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and became the birthplace of the Khalsa.
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC BY-SA 4.0
Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Bihar
Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib stands at the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in Patna, Bihar. Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji also visited this sacred site.
Photo: Sumitsurai · CC BY-SA 4.0
Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded
Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, marks the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji left for his heavenly abode in 1708 after bestowing the eternal Guruship on Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Its gilded dome overlooks the Godavari river.
Photo: Jaspal singh · CC BY-SA 3.0
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo is where Guru Gobind Singh Ji rested after the battles of Anandpur and Muktsar and prepared the final recension of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The town is known as Guru Ki Kashi, a centre of Sikh learning.
Photo: Jagvir Kaur · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Palki Sahib carrying Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at dawn
Each morning before dawn, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is carried in the golden Palki Sahib from Sri Akal Takht Sahib to Sri Harmandir Sahib for Prakash. Sangat lines the route and takes turns to shoulder the palanquin.
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Palki Sahib at the Sukhasan ceremony
The gilded Palki Sahib, strewn with flowers, waits to carry Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to rest at Sri Akal Takht Sahib during the nightly Sukhasan. The ceremony closes the day of worship at Sri Harmandir Sahib.
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC BY-SA 4.0
Prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Kartarpur Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is seated in Prakash beneath a canopy in the darbar hall of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. Sikhs revere Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the living and eternal Guru.
Photo: Shahzaib Damn Cruze · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji resting beneath a rumalla
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji rests beneath an embroidered rumalla and canopy in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Southall. The chaur sahib and offerings placed before the Guru reflect the reverence shown in every gurdwara.
Photo: Jonathan Cardy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Historical Gurdwaras
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and its Sarovar, New Delhi
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is associated with Guru Har Krishan Ji, the eighth Guru, who stayed here in 1664 and tended to the sick during an epidemic. Its golden dome and large Sarovar make it one of the most visited gurdwaras in Delhi.
Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Delhi
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib stands where Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was martyred in 1675 for defending the right of others to practise their faith. It rises amid the busy lanes of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi.
Photo: Satpal Dandiwal · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at night, New Delhi
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib marks the place where Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara cremated the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji by setting fire to his own house. The marble shrine stands near Parliament House in New Delhi.
Photo: Historiansimar · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Hemkund Sahib and its glacial lake, Uttarakhand
Sri Hemkund Sahib sits beside a glacial lake at over 4,000 metres in the Himalayas and is linked to the meditation of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in a previous life, as described in Bachittar Natak. Pilgrims trek to the shrine each summer when the snow recedes.
Photo: Wiki maddymadhavan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sarovar at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib
The Sarovar at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, reflects the evening sky. The gurdwara marks the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, founder of the Sikh faith.
Photo: Shaguftakarim · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, at dusk
The white facade of Gurdwara Janam Asthan, built where Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469. Thousands of pilgrims gather here each year for the Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Photo: Shahzaib Damn Cruze · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Sri Tarn Taran Sahib and its Sarovar
Gurdwara Sri Tarn Taran Sahib was founded by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in 1590 and is surrounded by the largest Sarovar of any gurdwara. Its gilded shrine and towering Nishan Sahib are seen across the water.
Photo: Giridhar Appaji Nag Y · CC BY 2.0
Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Goindwal Sahib
Gurdwara Baoli Sahib at Goindwal Sahib encloses the stepwell of 84 steps built by Guru Amar Das Ji. Goindwal became the first major centre of Sikhism under the third Guru.
Photo: Kuldeepburjbhalaike · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, Sirhind
Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib commemorates the martyrdom of the two younger Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, who were bricked alive at Sirhind in 1705. Large congregations gather here every December for the Shaheedi Jor Mela.
Photo: Kuldeepburjbhalaike · CC BY-SA 4.0
Qila Anandgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib
Qila Anandgarh Sahib is the largest of the forts raised by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to defend Anandpur Sahib. Its red walls and the Gurdwara within recall the battles fought in the hills along the Sutlej.
Photo: Harvinder Chandigarh · CC BY 4.0
Gurdwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi
Gurdwara Ber Sahib on the bank of the Kali Bein at Sultanpur Lodhi marks where Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated beneath a ber tree and received enlightenment. It was here that the Guru proclaimed that there is no Hindu and no Muslim, only one humanity.
Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, Patiala
Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib in Patiala is linked to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, whose visit in 1672 is said to have relieved the village of a long illness. Its gilded dome is lit each evening as sangat gathers for Rehras.
Photo: Rimanshugoel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai and the Kaulsar Sarovar, Amritsar
The nine-storey tower of Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai honours the young son of Guru Hargobind Ji and is the tallest structure in the old city of Amritsar. It stands beside the Kaulsar Sarovar near Sri Harmandir Sahib.
Photo: jasleen_kaur · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gurdwara Paonta Sahib illuminated at night, Himachal Pradesh
Gurdwara Paonta Sahib stands on the bank of the Yamuna where Guru Gobind Singh Ji lived for several years and composed much of his poetry. The court of poets of the Guru flourished here before the move to Anandpur Sahib.
Photo: Aarti Jadli · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwaras Around the World
Darbar hall of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Southall
Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall, London, is among the largest gurdwaras outside India. Its main darbar hall, with the Palki Sahib beneath tall stained-glass windows, serves one of the oldest Sikh communities in Britain.
Photo: Jonathan Cardy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Gur Sikh Temple, Abbotsford, British Columbia
Built in 1911 by Sikh pioneers, the Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford is the oldest surviving gurdwara in North America and a National Historic Site of Canada. It remains in daily use and houses the Sikh Heritage Museum.
Photo: Jacobsimmonds · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, San Jose, California
The Sikh Gurdwara of San Jose is one of the largest gurdwaras in the United States, set on a hillside in the Evergreen district. Its domes and arcades were inspired by the architecture of Punjab.
Photo: Sarbjit Bahga · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gurdwara Sahib El Sobrante, California
The golden dome of Gurdwara Sahib El Sobrante rises above the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in the 1970s, it is a landmark for the Sikh community of northern California.
Photo: Coro · CC BY-SA 3.0
Gurdwara Makindu Sahib, Kenya
Gurdwara Makindu Sahib was established in 1926 by Sikh railway workers on the Mombasa to Nairobi line. Its langar has fed travellers of every faith for a century and the gurdwara is loved across East Africa.
Central Sikh Gurdwara, Singapore
The Central Sikh Gurdwara on Towner Road is the principal gurdwara of the Sikh community of Singapore, whose roots go back to the nineteenth century. Its white dome stands out among the surrounding high-rise apartments.
Sikh Life & Heritage
The twin Nishan Sahibs of Miri and Piri, Amritsar
Two Nishan Sahibs rise side by side at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, representing Miri and Piri, the temporal and spiritual sovereignty established by Guru Hargobind Ji. The saffron flags bearing the Khanda mark every gurdwara from afar.
Photo: Harvinder Chandigarh · CC BY 4.0
A Nihang Singh renewing the chola of a Nishan Sahib
A Nihang Singh climbs the flagpole to replace the chola, the cloth covering of the Nishan Sahib. The seva is performed with great reverence, usually on Vaisakhi or other Gurpurabs.
Photo: Harvinder Chandigarh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Langar seva at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar
Sevadars collect steel thalis after a sitting of the Guru Ram Das Langar at Sri Harmandir Sahib, which feeds tens of thousands of people every day. Langar, the free community kitchen begun by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, embodies equality and sharing.
Photo: M M · CC BY-SA 2.0
A family preparing rotis for langar
Sangat of all ages roll rotis for the langar at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi. Everyone who comes to a gurdwara may eat together, seated in rows as equals.
Photo: Hari Singh · CC BY 2.0
Shabad kirtan in the darbar hall
Sangat listens to shabad kirtan, the singing of Gurbani, in the darbar hall of Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. Kirtan with harmonium and tabla is the heart of every Sikh gathering.
Photo: Hari Singh · CC BY 2.0
Nihang Singhs in traditional blue bana
Nihang Singhs in electric-blue bana and towering dumalas, carrying spears and weapons as their order has for centuries. The Nihangs trace their origins to the armies of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Photo: Vrlobo888 · Public domain
Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib
A Nihang horseman rides through the crowds at Hola Mohalla, the annual festival begun by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1701 for martial exercises. Horsemanship, gatka and mock battles are displayed at Anandpur Sahib each spring.
Photo: bhavjit Singh · CC BY 2.0
Gatka, the Sikh martial art
Two young players demonstrate gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art practised with wooden sticks and swords. Gatka is taught in gurdwaras and schools and performed at Nagar Kirtans and festivals.
Photo: GatkaSports · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Panj Pyare leading a Nagar Kirtan
Five Sikhs in saffron robes, representing the Panj Pyare, walk at the head of a Nagar Kirtan in a village in Punjab. The procession carries Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji through the streets with kirtan and the sharing of food.
Photo: Kuldeepburjbhalaike · CC BY-SA 4.0
Virasat-e-Khalsa museum, Anandpur Sahib
Virasat-e-Khalsa in Anandpur Sahib tells the story of Sikh history and the founding of the Khalsa. Designed by Moshe Safdie, its sandstone galleries and reflecting pools look toward the Shivalik hills.
Photo: Vimalvimiroxy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sikh Gurus
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
First Sikh Guru and founder of Sikhism (1469-1539)
Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji
Second Sikh Guru (1504-1552)
Sri Guru Amar Das Ji
Third Sikh Guru (1479-1574)
Sri Guru Ram Das Ji
Fourth Sikh Guru, founder of Amritsar (1534-1581)
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Fifth Sikh Guru, first martyr, compiler of Adi Granth (1563-1606)
Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji
Sixth Sikh Guru (1595-1644)
Sri Guru Har Rai Ji
Seventh Sikh Guru (1630-1661)
Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji
Eighth Sikh Guru (1656-1664)
Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
Ninth Sikh Guru, protector of religious freedom (1621-1675)
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Tenth Sikh Guru, founder of Khalsa (1666-1708)
About our gallery
Every photograph is a freely licensed image from Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons or public domain), credited to its photographer, and chosen to present Sikh heritage with respect. Images of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji are shown only in the dignity of Parkash and Sukhasan.