Gurudwara Nazarbagh, Ayodhya: The Sikh Gurus in Ram's City, Timings and Visit Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐGurudwara Nazarbagh timings and prayers

Like all Gurudwaras, Nazarbagh is open around the clock, every day, in the beautiful Sikh tradition of a door always open to all; and entry is completely free. There is no aarti as in a Hindu temple; instead, the daily prayers, the Nitnem, and the singing of the scriptures, Gurbani Kirtan, are kept according to the Sikh Rehat Maryada, and the evening congregational prayers and Naam Simran, the loving remembrance of God's name, take place in the evening, usually around 8:00 to 8:30 PM. The early morning and the evening are the most peaceful and beautiful times to visit.

ॐGurudwara Nazarbagh: the Sikh Guru in Ram's city

Near the great temple of Hanuman Garhi, in the garden quarter of Nazarbagh, stands a peaceful and welcoming Sikh shrine, the Gurudwara Nazarbagh, also honoured as the Guru Nanak Gobind Dham. It is a historic Gurudwara, cherished for marking the visit of one of the greatest of all the Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru, to the holy city of Ayodhya. Here, tradition holds, the Guru graced this ground with his presence; and the Gurudwara keeps that memory, and the living devotion of the Sikh faith, in the very city of Lord Ram. For any Sikh traveller in Ayodhya, and for anyone who loves the meeting of India's great traditions, it is a moving and beautiful place to come.

ॐThe Sikh Gurus and Ram's Ayodhya

There is a deep and beautiful bond between the Sikh faith and the holy city of Ayodhya, for Ayodhya, the city of Ram, was revered and visited by the Sikh Gurus themselves. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru and founder of the faith, came to Ayodhya on his great travels; Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the ninth Guru, came here; and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth, came too. Several Sikh shrines across Ayodhya, this Gurudwara among them, and a cluster of shrines by the Brahm Kund on the Saryu, keep the memory of these visits of the Gurus to Ram's city.

And the bond runs deeper still, into the very heart of Sikh devotion, for the Sikh Gurus held Lord Ram in the highest reverence. Above all, Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself composed a great retelling of the story of Ram, the Ramavatar, honouring Lord Ram as a mighty and righteous hero of the divine; so that the tenth Guru, who came to Ayodhya, had sung the glory of Ram in his own sacred verse. To stand at this Gurudwara, then, is to feel a most beautiful truth: that the Guru who honoured Ram came to Ram's own city, and that the two great faiths meet here in love and reverence for the same Lord.

ॐSangat, Pangat and the Langar: the Sikh way

To visit a Gurudwara is to be welcomed into one of the most beautiful and generous traditions in all the world, and Nazarbagh keeps it fully. The door is open to everyone, at every hour, of every faith and every station in life, without exception. Within, all who come sit together upon the floor as one, in the Sangat, the holy congregation, and in the Pangat, the row, in which every person, rich or poor, high or low, sits side by side as equals before the Guru; there are no special seats, no VIP, no high and no low. And there is the Langar, the free community kitchen, the glory of the Sikh faith: a wholesome meal, and tea, cooked and served with love by volunteers in selfless service, and given free to every single person who comes, all sitting together in a row to eat as one family. It is a living lesson in equality, humility and service that moves every visitor. At the heart of the Gurudwara is enshrined the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture that is the eternal Guru of the Sikhs, before which all bow; and the air is filled with the sweetness of the Gurbani, the sung word of God.

ॐHow to visit respectfully

A Gurudwara warmly welcomes visitors of all faiths, and it is easy to visit with respect. Cover your head, with a scarf or cloth, and remove your footwear before entering, and wash your hands, and your feet if there is a place to; do not carry or use any tobacco or intoxicants, which are not permitted. Enter the prayer hall quietly, bow before the Guru Granth Sahib if you wish, and sit on the floor with the Sangat. And do partake of the Langar, sitting in the row with all, and receiving the meal with humble, folded hands; it is offered to you with love, and to accept it is itself a mark of respect. In all, come with an open and reverent heart, and you will be received as family.

ॐThe Guru in Ram's city, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, guide with Experience My India

I love bringing my guests to the Gurudwara Nazarbagh, and I especially love welcoming Sikh pilgrims here, because it holds such a beautiful truth. I tell everyone: the great Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, all came here to Ayodhya, to the city of Ram; and Guru Gobind Singh himself wrote the story of Ram in his own holy verse, the Ramavatar. So here, the Guru who honoured Ram came to Ram's own city. It shows my guests the beautiful unity of our faiths, our shared love of the one Lord. People are always moved by it.

And I show them the beauty of the Gurudwara itself: how everyone, whoever they are, sits together on the floor as equals, and how the Langar feeds every single person free, with love, no high or low. After the crowds and the queues of the big temples, this open door, this equality, this free meal given to all, it touches people deeply. I tell them to cover their heads, take off their shoes, sit in the row, and share the Langar, and I have seen guests of every background leave with tears in their eyes at the simple, generous beauty of it. It is one of the gentlest, most welcoming, most humbling places in all of Ayodhya, and I never let a visitor miss it.

In more than forty years of guiding, this is the shrine whose spirit of equality and welcome most moves the travellers I bring.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Bow before the Guru Granth Sahib and sit with the Sangat in the peaceful prayer hall.
• Attend the evening Naam Simran and Gurbani Kirtan, around 8:00 to 8:30 PM.
• Partake of the free Langar, the community meal, sitting in the row with all as equals.
• Reflect on the beautiful bond of the Sikh Gurus with Ram and his Ayodhya.
• Combine it with Hanuman Garhi, right nearby, and the other Sikh shrines of the city.

ॐHow to reach Gurudwara Nazarbagh

The Gurudwara is at Najarbagh, near the great Hanuman Garhi, at the heart of old Ayodhya. It is reached on foot or by e-rickshaw.

It sits naturally with a visit to Hanuman Garhi and the Sikh shrines of Ayodhya.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with Hanuman Garhi and the core temples, and the Brahm Kund Sikh shrines.
• Allow 30 to 45 minutes, or longer to sit for the prayers and the Langar.

For Ayodhya, or a combined Kashi and Ayodhya pilgrimage, planned end to end, see our tour packages.

ॐEtiquette for visiting

• Cover your head with a scarf or cloth, and remove your footwear before entering.
• Wash your hands, and your feet if there is a place to; carry no tobacco or intoxicants.
• Enter quietly, bow before the Guru Granth Sahib if you wish, and sit on the floor with the Sangat.
• Accept the Langar with humble, folded hands, and sit in the row with all to eat as one.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• The Gurudwara is welcoming and calm; there may be a step or two and floor seating, so a helper is useful for the frail.
• It is open at all hours, so an elderly visitor can come at a quiet, comfortable time.
• The Langar is a great convenience, a free, wholesome meal in a peaceful place.
• We arrange transport and plan a gentle visit within your Ayodhya day.

ॐOur guided visits and Ayodhya tours

We are a Varanasi and Ayodhya based operator, a unit of Experience My India, with more than forty years of guiding travellers across Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. Entry is free, and the Langar is free, so what we offer is the story and the planning: a guide who tells the beautiful history of the Sikh Gurus in Ram's Ayodhya, and, for our Sikh pilgrims, a warm and knowing visit to the Gurudwaras of the city, woven into a fuller day of Ayodhya.

Inclusions and exclusions are stated up front, with any taxes and conditions, and no charge appears later that was not named. Entry and the Langar are free; our charge is only for guiding and services. See all our tour packages for the full range.

Experience My India is a travel operator, not the Gurudwara administration. Entry and the Langar are free; our charge is only for our guiding and services. Timings and rules are set by the Gurudwara and can change.

ॐNearby sacred sites in Ayodhya

Gurudwara Nazarbagh is near Hanuman Garhi, in the heart of Ayodhya.

For the Ram Mandir darshan and its free Sugam booking, see our Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir guide.