UP Government to Rejuvenate 17th-Century Yahiyaganj Gurdwara in Lucknow, Spotlighting Sikh Heritage and Inclusive Religious Tourism

The Uttar Pradesh government has drawn up an ambitious plan to upgrade amenities and visitor facilities around the historic Yahiyaganj Gurdwara in the heart of Lucknow, as part of its broader push to promote religious and heritage tourism across the state.

The initiative signals a widening of the government’s tourism vision—one that goes beyond temples to include sites of deep significance to minority communities as well.

Tucked away amid the congested lanes of Yahiyaganj, the gurdwara, though structurally built in the early 1970s, traces its spiritual legacy back to the 17th century.

It occupies a place of immense reverence in Sikh history. According to gurdwara records and long-standing Sikh tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, stayed at the site for three days in 1670 while travelling from Patna Sahib to Anandpur Sahib.

Two years later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, is believed to have visited the same place and stayed for more than two months.

The gurdwara today preserves two rare hukamnamas attributed to Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh—documents that hold extraordinary spiritual and historical value.

It also houses a manuscript of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, whose opening folio bears the Mool Mantar traditionally attributed to Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Officials say these collections are not merely archival treasures but living symbols of faith, devotion and scholarship, revered by devotees and studied by historians alike.

Under the proposed project, the gurdwara is set to be developed as a dedicated Sikh heritage and tourism site, with an emphasis on improving comfort, accessibility and internal movement for visitors—while ensuring that there is no alteration to the religious structure or sanctity of the shrine.

An initial allocation of ₹2 crore has already been released for the project.

Plans on the anvil include strengthening pathways to ensure smooth movement of devotees, installing improved lighting, and carrying out basic beautification work to enhance the overall visitor experience.

To address long-standing issues of accessibility, two elevators have been proposed to assist elderly devotees and persons with limited mobility.

The project also envisages organised pedestrian edges with kerbstones, benches and dustbins placed at suitable locations to manage crowds better, especially during peak religious occasions.

Given that the area frequently faces waterlogging during the monsoon, officials have proposed the construction of a stormwater drainage line.

A dedicated tourist restroom facility is also planned, reflecting a growing focus on visitor-oriented infrastructure.

Importantly, efforts are being made to improve connectivity and ease of approach to the gurdwara from key transit points such as Charbagh Railway Station, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, and other major parts of the city.

These measures are expected to significantly improve safety and convenience during major festivals, particularly Prakashotsav, when the gurdwara experiences heavy foot traffic from Lucknow, across Uttar Pradesh, and from other parts of the country.

The Yahiyaganj initiative, officials say, is also about restoring visibility to Awadh’s historical links with Sikh religious history—links that have often remained outside mainstream tourism narratives. Despite housing an art gallery depicting key episodes from Sikh history and being popular among Sikh pilgrims, the gurdwara remains relatively less known to general tourists visiting Lucknow.

The project fits into a wider pattern of heritage-focused development in the state. Earlier this month, the government approved ₹1 crore for upgrading amenities at the Digambar Jain Temple in Indira Nagar to strengthen Jain heritage in the capital.

In September, Kampil in Farrukhabad district—ancient Kampilya and the birthplace of Draupadi—was selected for development under the “Mahabharata Circuit”, with a ₹4-crore project aimed at restoring structures and highlighting its religious and archaeological importance.

Beyond bricks and mortar, the rejuvenation of the Yahiyaganj Gurdwara also underscores the universal appeal of Sikh institutions.

Gurudwaras are widely known not only as places of worship but as centres of humanitarian service—where langars serve all without discrimination, where seva ranges from cleaning shoes to caring for the vulnerable, and where the core teachings of equality, humility and compassion are lived daily.

The values imparted by the Sikh Gurus continue to inspire humanity, and the contributions of Sikhs to the nation—through service, sacrifice, and steadfast commitment—are both profound and well-documented.

By investing in the preservation and promotion of the Yahiyaganj Gurdwara, the Uttar Pradesh government appears to be acknowledging this legacy, while opening the doors for a wider audience—Sikh pilgrims and non-Sikh visitors alike—to engage with a rich, inclusive strand of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

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