One of the main Sikh pilgrimage centers in Delhi is Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. It is located along with Ashok Road with the proximity of Connaught Place. The history of this gurdwara is in the memory of the 17th century when it was the palace of King Jai Singh. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib earlier was a bungalow which belonged to an Indian ruler, named King Jai Singh in the seventeenth century. It was known as Jaisinghpura Palace in Jaysingh Pura, which is a historic place to make way for Connaught Place, and Shopping District.
The Gurudwara complex consists of the main prayer room (holy book), a water tank in the middle, a library, a museum, a hospital, a school and an art gallery. Like all the gurdwaras, an anchor is served in Bangla Sahib where, there is welcome to share food without the discrepancies of any religion, caste or creed. It is said that in the year 1664, Guru Har Krishan Sahib, came to visit the eighth Sikh Guru and save those who had to suffer from smallpox and cholera epidemic after distributing water from stitches. This water tank used by the gurus is present even today inside the gurudwara and it is believed that there are medicinal properties in this water.
That time when Eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan lived here in 1664, during that time there was smallpox and cholera epidemic, and the guru helped everybody by giving good support and fresh water to this house. Soon he contracted the illness and eventually died on March 30, 1664. Later, King Jai Singh had constructed a small tank. Its water is now honored as treatment properties and the people from the world use to come.
The Gurudwara and its lake are now a place of great respect for the Sikhs.
