India GOGurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi's best-known Sikh shrine near Connaught Place, is open around the clock and free to everyone. Cover your head (scarves are lent at the door) and leave your shoes at the counter. Inside, kirtan (devotional singing) runs almost without pause beside the sacred pool, and the langar kitchen serves a free vegetarian meal to anyone who sits down.
Delhi's principal Sikh shrine stands where the eighth Guru, Har Krishan, stayed in 1664 and tended the sick through a smallpox epidemic. Under the golden dome, kirtan (devotional singing) runs almost without pause, and the sound carries out over the wide sarovar, the sacred tank, where people sit on the marble with their feet in the water. The langar kitchen cooks free vegetarian meals for thousands daily and welcomes visitors of any faith to help roll rotis. Open around the clock, free; heads covered, scarves lent at the door, shoes left at the counter.
Continuous kirtan, a marble tank and a kitchen that feeds anyone who walks in
Timings and langar
- Gurdwara: open 24 hours, every day. Entry is free.
- Langar (the free community meal): served roughly 9:00–15:00 and 19:00–22:00; the kitchen works all day.
Since it never closes, you can come at any hour.
✅ Rules and etiquette
A gurdwara is open to people of every faith. The rules are few and are kept by everyone.
- Cover your head — Men and women alike. If you have no scarf, one is lent at the door.
- Shoes off — Leave them at the shoe counter.
- Dress modestly — Modest clothing is expected.
- Sit on the floor — In the prayer hall and at langar everyone sits on the floor, side by side, whoever they are.
- Be quiet near the kirtan — Photograph respectfully and not at close range during prayer; follow any instruction from the sevadars (volunteers).
Why Bangla Sahib is sacred
The name means "the bungalow". In the 17th century this was the residence of Raja Jai Singh I of Amber. In 1664 the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, then a child of seven or eight, came to Delhi at the summons of Emperor Aurangzeb and stayed here as Jai Singh's guest.
Smallpox was raging in the city. According to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, the Guru, out of compassion, dipped his feet in water and poured it into a small tank, and those who drank from it were cured. The Guru himself caught smallpox and died in Delhi on 30 March 1664. The water of the sarovar (sacred pool) is still taken home as healing.
In 1783 the Sikh general Baghel Singh rebuilt the site as a small shrine. The sarovar measures about 225 by 235 feet.
What to see and do
- The prayer hall under the golden dome, where the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scripture) is read and sung. Sit at the side for a few minutes and listen.
- The sarovar. Walk around the pool on the marble parikrama (path around it); people sit with their feet in the water.
- Langar. Sit in a row on the floor and accept the simple vegetarian meal that is served; it is cooked for thousands every day.
- Seva (voluntary service). Anyone can join the kitchen for an hour: chopping, rolling rotis, serving or washing plates. Ask a volunteer where to start.
The complex also includes a hospital run by the committee, a girls' school and an art gallery and museum named after Baghel Singh.
How to get there
The gurdwara is on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, a short ride from Connaught Place, and easy to spot by its golden dome and tall flagpole. From anywhere in central Delhi an auto or cab is the simplest way; ask for Bangla Sahib and you will be dropped at the gate.
❓ FAQ
Is Gurudwara Bangla Sahib open 24 hours?
Yes, every day, and entry is free.
What is Gurudwara Bangla Sahib famous for?
Its link with Guru Har Krishan, who stayed here in 1664 and helped people during a smallpox epidemic, its sacred pool, near-continuous kirtan and the free langar.
Can we wear jeans in Bangla Sahib Gurudwara?
Modest clothing is what matters; the gurdwara does not publish a list of banned clothes. The firm rules are a covered head and shoes left at the counter.
What are the langar timings?
Roughly 9:00–15:00 and 19:00–22:00; the kitchen works all day.
Do I need to bring a head scarf?
No, scarves are lent at the entrance, but your own is fine too.
Can non-Sikhs volunteer in the kitchen?
Yes. Visitors of any faith can help chop, roll rotis, serve or wash up.